


Side Projects

by Laydee_Liesmith



Category: Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blackmail, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, Extremely Dubious Consent, Humiliation, Laufey's a Good Dad (But Just Isn't At Home as Much as He Should Be), Loki's 15, M/M, Mentions of Organized Crime, Rough Sex, Sexual Coercion, Thor's Entitled and a Bit of a Sadist, Thor's Pretty Much a Bad Guy (With a Few Redeeming Qualities), Underage Sex, teenage emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-04-30 21:54:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 106,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5181089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laydee_Liesmith/pseuds/Laydee_Liesmith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's summer-break and Loki's dad has hired a team of contractors to work on their new house. New as in just-moved in; there's nothing new about the old, rickety Victorian he's forced them to move into.  And Loki's bitter—bitter about the move, not knowing anyone in this new town, and having to leave his few (but important) friends. But his father said they needed a fresh start and that was that, all of Loki’s protests falling on deaf ears.</p><p>Now, Loki tries to ignore the team of workers who have taken over his back-yard as they embark on a much-needed reno project. But, the one with the long blonde hair and the boming voice has taken a special liking to him. He flirts, he winks; he goes out of his way to tease Loki. Loki finds himself spending more time talking to "Thor" than he would like. He also finds himself blushing around Thor more than he would like. One day, Thor stumbles across Loki doing something he really shouldn't be... and suddenly Thor has decided to make Loki his after-work "project."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: A few preemptive warnings.  This isn’t a romance.  It’s a twisty, dark Thorki tale.  Yeah, there will be some feels (mostly on Loki’s part, but Thor might surprise you too).  But that’s not really the “point.”  We should also talk a little about the consent issues here, since the fic is tagged “extremely dubious consent.”  Off the bat, Loki is _fifteen_ —he can’t consent, even if he thinks he can, and Thor, being an adult, should know better.  With that said, this first chapter (ending) is probably closer to a non-con.  As the “relationship” progresses, things will get blurrier and thus transition into more of a dub-con.  They’re _not_ blurry right now, though.  So, “trigger warning” if you need one.  I intend it to be a PWP, but angsty plot always seems to sneak its way into my fics, so we shall see!  Also, warning for homophobic language :{. (Bad Thor is Bad)

* * *

Loki watched miserably out of the second-floor window as the contractors began unloading their van.  His father had told him to expect construction to start that morning, but Loki had forgotten and had been more than a little miffed when the clattering sound had woken him up.  It was barely 10am.  Having been roughly roused from his sleep, he had angrily stomped over to the window and looked down to figure out what was going on.

 

He and his father had moved into an old Victorian almost two weeks ago. The place was practically falling apart (in Loki’s opinion), but his father had said he had gotten a ‘steal’ on it and with the money they had made from selling their house in upstate New York, they could make any number of renovations to it and still have lots left over for other important plans for the future (namely, Loki’s college, as his father had reminded him when Loki had complained for the _umpteenth_ time about not wanting to move).  

 

Loki had made sure to tell his dad he likely wouldn’t even _make_ it to college if he had to go to school with kids he didn’t know.  He had also accused his father of being heartless for picking him up, at the end of his sophomore year no less, and forcing him to move to a new town.  It had been almost three years since Loki’s mother had died (a few weeks before Loki’s thirteenth birthday), and his father had said that he was tired of living with the “ghosts” of their past. 

 

That was the only part Loki had remotely agreed on.  The reminders of his mother had been hard.  It wasn’t just the house.  Everyone in their town had known her.  Everyone still looked at Loki and his father with pity.  And it had just been one of those tragic things.  No one could have prevented the accident.  No one had done anything _wrong_ , so there had been no one to “blame.”  Farbauti’s car had skidded on a patch of black ice while she was driving over the bridge on the way home from work at the hospital late one night.  She had gone over the divider, and plunged into the freezing waters.  The coroner’s report had said that she had died quickly; hadn't suffered very much.  But that knowledge hadn’t made it hurt any less.  And it hadn’t made it any easier to deal with. 

 

Sighing, Loki shook his head to clear it of the painful thoughts.  His mother had died when he was twelve.  He was fifteen now (sixteen in just four months), but whenever he thought of his mother he always returned to that moment when his father sat him down and told him his mom wouldn’t be coming home again; he was keenly aware of feeling like a child.  Frowning, Loki tried to distract himself with what was going on below his window.  Eyes tracking the length of the expansive backyard (that clearly needed a good amount of landscaping work), Loki could see that the workers had unloaded quite a lot of their supplies already.  He saw wheelbarrows, tools, large bags of what he guessed was cement or mortar, piles of lumber and bricks.  The backyard looked nothing like what it had looked like last night.

 

Hearing a car door slam, he glanced toward the end of the yard and saw a large utility van with the words “Borson Family Contractors” emblazoned on its side in red, gold and black.  Loki couldn’t really tell what kind of “family” the Borsons were, since the men who were making trips to and from the truck were about as dissimilar as possible. 

 

There was a towering, yet quite portly, man with fire-red hair and a massive beard.  Even though his figure was quite intimidating, Loki noticed that his face was often split into a wide grin, and the skin around his eyes crinkled with mirth.  Almost as a complete opposite, was a placid-looking Asian man.  He was so serious that Loki was sure he hadn’t seen the man smile once the entire morning.  But Loki often found him watching the others, like a silent protector.  And he was always the first one at one of his friends’ sides to lend a hand when someone stumbled while carrying something or otherwise needed help.  Then there was a slender blonde.  He didn’t seem the type to be in construction, and Loki noted that he tended to slack off and carry less when he could get away with it.  But from what Loki could tell, looking down from his window, this man seemed to be the cause of much amusement and sometimes watching his antics even got Loki to let out a small huff of laughter. 

 

Lastly, there was the _tall_ , muscular blonde.  He was wearing a white, sleeveless t-shirt and light-colored jeans that hugged his powerful-looking legs nicely.  His hair was sun-streaked blonde and pulled back into a tiny bun at the nape of his neck.  He had a black bandanna hanging loosely around his neck, and a scruffy blonde beard framing full lips.  But, most importantly, he seemed to be the _boss._

He appeared a little younger than the others, but they all seemed to wait around for instructions from him when it came to what they would be unloading next. Loki couldn’t tell his eye color from so far away, but he saw that the man smiled a lot with his eyes.  He also smiled a lot with huge grins.  He often took to slapping the others on the shoulder when he was laughing.  But even though he seemed to be friends with all of them, he also carried an air of leadership around him. 

 

But Loki didn’t find that all that surprising.  With his sturdy, statuesque frame (Loki was guessing he had to be at _least_ 6’2” and probably taller), and bulging muscles, he was sculpted like a Greek God.  He was the kind of guy people _followed._   And looking at him, Loki found himself immediately resentful.  This big, blonde hulk of a man was everything Loki knew he was not and further reminded him how “out of place” he really was.  Everyone here was tan and rugged-looking.  It seemed like they liked to “get their hands dirty;” like they were the outdoorsy types. 

 

Loki, instead, was used to urban jungles, indoor activities, and using his _mind_ instead of his hands—he was “artsy.”  With his long black hair (that often ended up stubbornly curling into soft waves, no matter how much he straightened it), pale skin and thin, lanky frame he knew he would stick out like a sore thumb here.  He knew it didn’t help that he gravitated to dark clothing and liked to paint his nails (usually black, but sometimes a dark green, blue or even red when he was feeling especially feisty).  He was sure none of those guys down in the yard would “get” him. 

 

Cracking his window so he could let the air in (or that was what he told himself), Loki pressed himself closer to the glass so he could see down as the workers began to make their way around the side of the house.  Along with the soft warm breeze blowing in came the mixed sounds of summer.  Lawn-mowers churning in the distance, birds chirping, dogs barking, kids laughing.  And over all that he heard a deep, rumbling laugh.

 

Green eyes looking on curiously as he tried to figure out which one of them had made the sound, Loki watched the big blonde one as he slapped the burly red-head on the back.  Then he threw his head back, sun glinting off of his tresses and lips pulled up into a wide grin, and let out another resounding laugh.  Loki frowned as he felt his stomach do a small flip.  That wasn’t good.   

* * *

Thor stopped to swipe his bandana over his forehead after he set down a pallet of paving stones.  As he wiped the sweat off his brow, he looked up at the sky and the bright sun sitting high on the horizon.   Then his eyes trailed to the forms of his three best friends as they each continued to unload the large cargo van. 

 

The project they were working on was set to be a massive undertaking.  In addition to making updates and general renovations to the house and landscaping the neglected yard and poorly-maintained pool, they were contracted to add an addition on to the first floor of the house.  It would take at least six weeks, if everything went off without a hitch, but Thor could already imagine that two months was probably more realistic.  But Thor didn’t really mind.  He actually _liked_ working with his hands. 

 

He had been doing work like this for as long as he could remember. This was his father’s company, and Thor had always known since he was little that he would inherit the business.  He had been average in school, and definitely better than above average at sports, but he could never see the point in exploring his interests in those areas further when he already knew what was waiting for him at the end. 

 

Odin had made it clear that Thor was meant to “inherit.”  And, Thor was fine with that—he was good at what he did.  But sometimes it was a little tedious to pretend to be just like everyone else.  He never really understood why his father still fed into the “nice family business” routine, when there was a lot more to it than that.  While Thor knew he would inherit the family _construction_ business, he also knew he would inherit the _real_ “family” business. 

 

Odin Borson was the leader of the Borson Group, one of the most notorious, and long-standing, organized crime families in the country.  Odin was so old school that he no longer had to show any real muscle to have anyone do what he said.  But, Thor had heard stories of how formidable his father had been in the old days.  That just the word “Odin” was enough to strike fear into the hearts of grown men.  And Odin prided himself on this; knowing that he was so respected—so feared—that he no longer _had_ to engage in violent showings of his authority.  And everyone also knew it to be a fact that if Odin ever _were_ pushed, he still had the power, and the following, to make any opposing faction regret that decision. 

 

And even though Thor was proud to be part of such a respected crime family, he resented the fact that he had missed out on those days of the past.  He had pent up energy in him and wouldn’t mind being tasked to crack some heads open, if his father needed him to.  When he had been younger, Thor had found himself making up reasons to start trouble, claiming that it was in the name of defending his family’s turf or the “Borson name.” He had found himself in more fist fights than he could remember. 

 

He had even tried to deal on the side, to show his father that he was man enough to manage his own parts of the business.  But, at 14, Thor hadn’t been as smart as he had imagined himself, and he had been picked up by the cops more than a few times.  Odin had been displeased, railing on Thor about the stupidity of developing a juvenile record.  However, Odin’s influence was far-reaching and every time Thor had been picked up by the police, he was walking out not more than four hours later with the infraction miraculously wiped from his record.  It had gotten to the point that the police had just stopped taking note of him when they realized it was “Borson’s kid.” But, knowing that no one took him seriously—that they expected his “Daddy” would always come and save him—Thor had stopped acting out as a kid.  He hadn’t wanted to gain his clout that way. 

 

Thor scowled a bit as he spit at the ground, as if the memory left a bad taste in his mouth.  Now, at almost 25, his father still thought he was not “mature” enough to really be tasked with _running_ the business.  Sure, Thor controlled his own little subset of members of the gang; he made his own money for the group.  But his duties still reeked of “training wheels.”  The members he controlled consisted of mostly young newbies who wanted to get in good with the Borson ring.  Finding the job almost like babysitting them, Thor would look for any reason to give them something to do, and sometimes had them take care of petty things like picking up protection payments, or facilitating drop-offs. 

 

But, Thor really only ever relied on his “Warriors Three” (as they so liked to be called, and had gotten screened on the back of their custom-made leather jackets) when a big job was going down.  If they were moving hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise, drugs, or _bodies_ , Thor would show up with his three best men and two guns each.  And, if push came to shove, Thor was more than happy to wail on someone with his bare hands—he didn’t work out for nothing.  But being tasked with those types of jobs were rare.  Odin still seemed to have a lack of faith in him—claiming he was still too much of a hothead to keep his cool if something went down.  Thor did not want to give the old man any reason to doubt him further. 

 

So, he kept his mouth shut about the construction jobs.  He had had too many arguments with his father, when he was still in his late teens, about how much more profit they could be raking in if they stopped with the pretense and went completely underground.  But Odin had quickly spat back in his face that the fact that Thor didn’t _understand_ why it made more sense to appear “legitimate” in the community further solidified Odin’s  belief that he was not ready to lead the Borson group.

 

Thor realized that he just had to wait.  He had to wait for Odin to get old enough that he would feel too tired to want to maintain a tight grip on the organization.  Or, by some off chance of fate, actually believe Thor had proven himself enough to be trusted to be his right-hand man (that job was currently held by his father’s oldest friend, Tyr).  In the meantime, he would do what his father asked.  He just wished there was something more to break up the monotony.  Without that, this summer would be mind-numbingly boring.

 

Looking back at the looming Victorian behind him, Thor re-tied his bandana and sighed as he started to make his way back to the cargo van. 

* * *

It was almost two in the afternoon when Loki was quite rudely dragged out of his online game by his father’s insistent voice calling his name.  Looking up with displeasure, Loki pulled off his headphones that had (for the most part) drowned out all outside noise.  Loki knew his father hated it when he had his volume turned all the way up (because Loki could _never_ hear Laufey then) so he had made a habit of keeping it at a moderate level. That didn’t mean Laufey still didn’t have to _shout_ to get Loki’s attention.  He had remarked more times than Loki cared to count about how he really regretted having bought them for Loki in the first place. 

 

“Loki, are you really going to just stay cooped up in the house all day?” Laufey asked from his position in the doorway of the living room.  He had stopped there on his way back to his makeshift home office when he saw his lazy son sprawled on the living room couch with his laptop perched on his chest, chewing noisily on a Twizzler.   

 

Loki raised a dark, delicately arched eyebrow at his father, red candy hanging from his lips, as if wondering if the man was serious.

 

Laufey sighed.

 

“I brought you here for a fresh start, Loki.  And part of that is for you to get rid of this affected, morose, ‘I’m so misunderstood’ thing you’ve got going on,” Laufey said as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

 

Loki’s father was so “understanding” and patient with Loki most of the time that Loki sometimes forgot how impressive the man was when he was trying to be intimidating.  He stood almost at 6’5” with severe (yet straight, Loki thought with resentment) black hair, piercing green eyes and a powerful build.  So very much _unlike_ Loki, except for the coloring.  Loki often wondered if seeing him made his father think of his mother.  He definitely noticed his father had seemed to be able to look at him far less since his mother had died.  Sometimes Loki purposefully went out of way to antagonize his father because if he got a rise out of him then his father would _look_ at him.  Even if it was with a look of exasperation or annoyance.  All Loki wanted was his attention. 

 

“I want you to get outside more.  Explore.  Get some fresh _air_ ,” Laufey said, sighing again.

 

“I’m never going to be a Boy Scout, dad,” Loki said as he rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the game in front of him.  “I’m too old for that stuff anyway.”

 

“I’m not asking you to hike up a mountain, Loki,” Laufey said, voice starting to transform into what Loki remembered as his father’s “stern” tone.

 

Glancing up, Loki could see that Laufey was frowning.

 

“Why don’t you go outside and look at the work that’s being done.  You could ask the boys out back to show you what their plans are and things like that.  Maybe it’ll get you interested in the field.  Maybe architecture’s up your alley,” Laufey offered. “It’s never too early to start thinking about what you want to pursue in college.”

 

Loki couldn’t help the laugh that slipped from between his lips.

 

“Come _on_ , dad.  Do you really see me as the type to wear a hard hat and carry around a hammer?” Loki asked, amused.

 

Laufey _wasn’t_ amused.  He was a tax lawyer and an accountant, but Loki had heard many tales of his father’s days spent in the woods with his friends when he was a boy.  His father had also loved building things.

 

“You never know.  I suggest you take a stroll outside, Loki,” Laufey said in a tone that made it clear that it was not up for debate. “And I’m sure the boys would like something to drink.  So make yourself useful and put something together.” 

 

_Boys_ , Loki thought with an eye-roll.  _They all look like they’ve been out of high school for 10 years_.   _At the **least**.  _   

 

But, Loki didn’t see the utility in arguing that with his father.  From the look Laufey was giving him, Loki knew it was time to shut his mouth.  So, with a frustrated sigh, he closed his laptop and pulled the headphones from around his neck, then got to his feet.  He adjusted his baggy green t-shirt and his black skinny jeans before running a hand through his tousled hair and giving his father a petulant look.  Seeming satisfied that his son was actually mobile, Laufey gave him a curt nod and continued his way down the hall. 

* * *

Standing in the kitchen, looking out into the backyard, Loki hesitated for a moment, a tray of lemonades resting in his hands.  He didn’t know why he was anxious about meeting the contractors.  Yes, they all seemed kind of buff and a bit rough around the edges, but what’s the worst that could really happen?  In any case, they were _working_ for his father.  Loki couldn’t really imagine a scenario in which they would be downright mean to him.  But, for some reason the idea of being forced to make small talk with people he doubted would have any real interest in him made him anxious. 

 

Feeling frustrated with himself, Loki let out a huff and pushed the screen door open with his shoulder, stepping out into the backyard.  The group of contractors were standing together around a shallow trench in the ground.  One of them—the dark-haired one—was digging, but the others were just standing around with the shovels in their hands.  They seemed more like they were hanging out than anything else.  As Loki got closer, he could hear that deep laugh from the tall, broad blonde one and he felt his stomach clench strangely.

 

Shaking his head, Loki coughed to draw their attention once he was close enough and the foursome turned around in surprise.  Loki flinched as he felt four pairs of eyes land on him.  The dark-haired man’s gaze was curious, while the large red-headed man’s eyes showed surprise.  The smaller blonde looked at him with amusement.  And the big, blonde one, well… he looked at him with suspicion.  He probably had the _least_ friendly look of them all.

 

“What’s this?” the amused blonde one asked as he stepped forward, a friendly smile on his face.

 

Loki shrugged, blushing slightly under all the intense gazes.

 

“Uh… h-hi…,” Loki started, cringing internally at how wobbly his voice sounded.   My dad wanted me to… Um, here. Drinks.”

 

Loki then held the tray out in front of him, embarrassed at his seeming inability to articulate full sentences.  Loki was _not_ one for getting tongue-tied and he hated how he must look to these guys.

 

“Oh!  That’s so kind of you,” the red-headed one said as he stepped forward and picked up one of the tall glasses.

           

“You’re Laufey’s son, huh?” the overly-friendly blonde said as he also stepped forward.  “Well, thank you so much for the gesture.” 

 

“My name’s Fandral,” he continued as he pointed at his own chest. 

 

“And this large, and apparently manner-less, guy over here is Volstagg,” Fandral said as he pointed to the rotund red-head who was appreciatively gulping down the lemonade.

 

“Hogun’s the somber-looking guy down in the ditch.  And this hulking behemoth next to me is Thor,” Fandral said as he pointed to the Asian man and the tall blonde respectively.  

 

The four of them stared at him quietly until Loki realized that _he_ was now expected to make introductions.

 

“Oh! Um… I’m Loki,” he muttered, feeling like a complete idiot.

           

“ _Loki_ ,” the red-head said as he grinned.  “Well, such a pleasure to meet you and thanks for being so nice and preparing these drinks for us.  This really hit the spot!  Come on boys, you should get in on this.”

 

The other three stepped forward, Fandral more enthusiastically than “Thor” and “Hogun,” who both remained silent, but at least they took the offered drink.

 

After that, the conversation seemed to flow a bit easier, with the contractors trying to engage him in conversation.  They asked him how he liked the new house and if there was anything he was particularly looking forward to.  Loki still felt uncomfortable, and so his responses consisted of muttered short answers as he kicked at the grass.

 

He was also acutely aware of the feeling of Thor’s gaze on him.  Thor remained silent for most of the conversation, but Loki could tell the bigger man’s eyes were roving over him, as if he was trying to make sense of him.  He hated that Thor made him feel self-conscious and exposed, even though he was covered from head-to-toe, standing there in his oversized t-shirt and black jeans.  Feeling bothered by the intensity of the stare, but still a bit too sheepish to call him on it, Loki gripped the tray in his hands tightly, fingernails digging into the smooth, lacquered wood.

  

 “Hmm…” Thor finally said, the sound of his voice causing Loki to glance up at him.

 

He was smirking at Loki, the skin around his eyes creasing slightly.  Up close, Loki could now tell that he had crystal blue eyes, framed by thick blonde lashes.  And while this would be charming on anyone else, paired with that smug-looking smirk, it only served to put Loki on edge.   

 

“You borrow that nail polish from your sister or something?” Thor asked, as his eyes glanced down to Loki’s fingers. 

 

Loki gaped at Thor.  He could see that Thor was clearly mocking him, and resented it immensely.  Loki’s eyebrows drew down in anger as he unconsciously hid his hands behind his back.  He had forgotten his nails were decked out in a coat of black paint.  It was such an everyday part of his attire that he hadn’t even thought to conceal it. 

 

“Um!  Well, Loki’s from the East Coast, Thor,” Fandral said quickly, cutting through the tension.  “Things are different over there.  A lot more creative and expressive.  Right, Loki?”

 

Loki’s frown softened at Fandral’s attempt, but he didn’t take his eyes off of Thor who still sported an amused expression.

 

“It’s true that I _am_ from the East Coast.  But that is irrelevant.  I don’t need to explain myself to the likes of _you_ ,” Loki said as he looked Thor up and down dismissively.  “I can wear whatever I want.  And, no, I don’t have a sister.”

 

Thor’s eyebrows shot up, in feigned surprise at Loki’s reaction, and Loki seethed as he could tell the older man thought of him as a joke.

 

“Okay, okay, princess,” Thor said as he held up his hands in surrender and chuckled.  “Don’t get your panties in such a bunch.”

 

Loki almost let out a hiss at Thor’s condescending words.  But then he heard Laufey calling for him from inside the house.  Letting out a huff of frustration, Loki forced himself to relax as he turned on his heel, without even saying much of a word of goodbye to Thor or his friends.

 

“Hey, kid!” Thor called after him.

 

Loki didn’t know what possessed him to stop and turn back to face him, but he did it anyway.

 

“ _What_??” he snapped, glaring angrily at Thor.

 

“I didn’t say I didn’t _like_ it.  It’s a good color on you,” Thor said as he winked.

 

He actually _winked_.  Loki stared at him, mouth hanging open in disbelief as he felt his face start to heat up.  But before he could say anything in response (although he wasn’t quite sure _what_ he’d say) his father called for him again.

 

“Loki!!” Laufey bellowed from inside the house.

 

And that was enough to snap Loki out of his stupor.  He tossed one last glare at Thor, before he turned on his heel and scurried into the house.

* * *

“Come _on_ , Thor,” Fandral groaned, once Loki was out of earshot.  “You can’t talk to the kid of our _employer_ that way.”

 

Thor shrugged disinterestedly.

 

“He’s right, Thor.  What if he goes and tells his father you’ve been picking on him?  Laufey could drop us before we’ve even _started_ the project,” Volstagg said with an uncharacteristic frown.

 

Thor rolled his eyes.

 

“Relax.  I highly doubt he’s going to run and tell his Daddy the big bad contractor made fun of his nail polish,” Thor said sarcastically.

 

“Thor, you should be a little more serious.  Your _father_ isn’t going to like it if we lose this job,” Fandral reminded. 

 

Thor turned to give him a hard look.

 

“ _Thanks_ , Fandral.  But I don’t need to be reminded about my father.  _I’m_ in charge of overseeing this project.  It’s not like Odin’s going to come by one of these days and pick up a hammer.  So I don’t really see why we’re worrying about what _he_ thinks,” Thor said, face taking on a pinched expression.  He was clearly unhappy with the topic of this conversation.  

 

“Odin _is_ the one Laufey made the contract with, though. And he wouldn’t take kindly to knowing that you’ve sullied his business reputation.  He assigned you to this job because he trusts you.  So let’s try to make him not regret that trust,” Hogun said, giving Thor a meaningful look.

 

Thor hated how insightful Hogun could be sometimes. 

 

“Jesus,” he groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.  “You all are acting like I held the kid’s head over a toilet and gave him a swirly.  I only teased him a little bit.  He was practically _begging_ for it.” 

 

Thor looked around at the faces of his unimpressed friends and let out a put-upon sigh.

“Fine, fine.  I’ll be ‘nice,’” Thor mumbled as he rolled his eyes.

 

“That’s so very kind of you, Thor,” Fandral said with a laugh as he patted Thor on the shoulder.  “Besides, he looks lonely.  And since he’s new here, we should all try to make him feel better.”

 

Volstagg nodded as well.

 

“Yes, and he’s so pale and skinny.  It’d be good if he got himself outdoors more.  He’s not going to want to do that if he’s afraid of you,” he warned.

 

Thor scoffed as he glanced towards the house and the backdoor Loki had just entered a few minutes prior.

 

“Believe me, that kid is anything but “afraid” of me,” Thor said with a small grin. 

* * *

A week passed like this, with Loki trying to force himself to get used to his new surroundings and the, often unpleasant, noise of construction throughout the day.  He and his father got into almost daily tiffs about how Loki was “wasting” his summer, and Laufey often forced him to go outside at least once day. 

 

As a result of this, he had become a bit more comfortable with the workers in his yard, saying hi to them when he was coming or going.  Thor was still a pain in his side, but Loki had begun to think that it wasn’t necessarily that Thor had a problem with him, but instead that Thor just _enjoyed_ seeing him get all worked up.  He was practically _teasing_ him at every chance he got; like an immature bully.  And that was just too strange for Loki to comprehend.  Thor was an _adult_ , so why wasn’t he acting like one?

 

Loki knew he had the _capability_.  Once or twice Loki would hear Thor in the kitchen discussing plans with his father.  Standing at the top of the stairs, hidden out of sight, Loki would listen in to the conversations and would always be perplexed about how Thor sounded.  He was serious, respectful and mature.  Loki had quickly had his suspicions confirmed that Thor was “in charge” just by the fact that he seemed to do most of the actual paperwork with Laufey.  In addition, during the times Loki _did_ spend more than a few minutes talking with the other guys, he had been informed (usually by Fandral, who was, by far, the chattiest of the bunch) that _Thor_ was in fact the only one out of them who was an actual “family member” of “Borson Family Contractors” and that they were all Thor’s good friends who he had hired to help with his father’s business.       

 

Loki didn’t know how to feel about the fact that Thor went out of his way to pick on him.  It was never anything _truly_ insulting.  One time, after Loki had come back from a run and tendrils of his shoulder-length black hair had slipped loose from the messy bun piled on top of his head, Thor had made a comment on how curly his hair was and said it was “pretty like a girl’s.”  Another time he had looked at Loki perplexedly, asking how he got himself into his very tight-looking jeans.  At all times, the look Thor gave him was always intense.  As if his eyes were looking right through Loki’s clothes; like they were devouring him.  Loki would always flush hotly at Thor’s questions, and he knew the older man could clearly see his reaction on his pale skin.  Then Thor would laugh and roll his eyes as Loki, annoyed, stomped away. 

 

Today was nothing different.  Loki had just returned from the town bookstore.  There really wasn’t much to do around here, and even though Loki had seen some kids milling about who looked to be around his age, he hadn’t gotten desperate enough to try to approach them yet.  He still had a whole summer to go; there was lots of time to figure out he hated all the kids he would be going to school with.

 

As he walked through the backyard on his way to the kitchen, he pointedly ignored Thor and his friends, even though he could tell Thor was looking at him.

 

“Back from Carter’s store, I see,” Thor said as he glanced down to the bag in Loki’s hand, which was sporting the store’s logo.  “Why am I not surprised you’re the bookish type?  What’ve you got in there?  Emo poetry about how hard life is? And how no one really gets you?”

 

Loki came to a halt and turned to glare a Thor with an unimpressed expression.

 

“I don’t know why you seem to think anything I do concerns you in the slightest,” he huffed out.  “But, if you’ll excuse me, I’d rather spend my time with an intellectual pursuit, instead of losing brain cells talking to a muscle-head like you.”

 

Loki had said the last bit quite snippily, even though all he had in his bag were some comic books and graphic novels.  Loki knew he was pretty smart, but he really had no plans to spend his summer on any type of academic pursuits.  He wanted to play video games, watch TV, and read comics.  But Thor didn’t have to know that.  Loki could use an opportunity to feel superior to the snide man who seemed to always know just the right thing to say to make Loki feel small. 

 

Loki watched as one of Thor’s golden eyebrows lifted slightly, as if the comment had offended him slightly, but he didn’t end up taking the bait. 

 

“Why don’t you come out here and give us a poetry session, huh?  I’m sure that stuff would sound nice coming out of _your_ lips,” Thor said as he looked Loki up and down.

 

Loki tensed, feeling himself flushing again.  As usual.  Thor always said embarrassing things.  And Loki didn’t know if it was on purpose, but they always seemed borderline suggestive.  He glanced around to the three others who were milling about the backyard.  They clearly seemed as if they were pretending not to notice Thor antagonizing him.

 

With a huff of indignation, Loki rolled his eyes and tried his best not to stamp his foot before he turned on his heel and stalked into the house.  If this was how his summer was going to go, Loki wasn’t looking forward to it. 

* * *

 “ _Thooor_ ,” Fandral complained as he came up behind his taller friend.  “Why do you keep picking on that kid?  Couldn’t you, you know… be _decent_?  Or try to say something that would motivate him to stick around instead of always having to run into the house seeming like he’s about to have a fit.  Getting that worked up every day can’t be good for him.”

 

“This isn’t Big Brothers of America,” Thor said pointedly.  “There’s nothing in my job description that says I have to make the kid of the guy I’m working for want to hang out with me.  Besides, look how up-tight and snotty he is.  He’s practically said that he thinks I’m a Neanderthal.  Trust me when I say I doubt he’d be interested in anything I’d have to say to him.”

 

“Aww, well I wouldn’t be so sure.  Loki seems a bit more interested than I think you’d expect,” Fandral said with a knowing smile.

 

Thor furrowed his brows as he looked at him with confusion.

 

“What’re you talking about?” he asked flatly.

 

Fandral just continued to smile as he glanced up and over Thor’s head, then back down again, smile getting a little wider.

 

Frowning, Thor turned around and looked up to where Fandral had just glanced.  When his eyes found the second-story windows that overlooked the backyard he was surprised to see Loki standing there, staring down at him.  Apparently Loki hadn’t expected to get caught and froze as soon as his eyes made contact with Thor’s.  But then, as Thor raised an eyebrow questioningly, Loki quickly stepped away from the window and he was gone from their sight. 

 

“See?  I’m sure he’s interested in what we’re doing out here but just doesn’t know how to strike up a conversation and with you being so aggressive that isn’t going to make it any easier on him.  Besides, I haven’t seen him hangout with anyone since we started working here.  And when he leaves the house—as rare as that is—it’s only ever for like an hour.  I’m sure he’s actually feeling pretty alone over here,” Fandral continued. 

 

But Thor didn’t say anything as he continued to look at the now vacant windows.  He wondered if that was Loki’s bedroom.  He also wondered if Loki had been looking at them from there every day.  That was interesting indeed. 

 

Thor couldn’t deny that he found Loki… intriguing.  Although Loki was all long-limbs and pale flesh—seemingly delicate on the surface—he was fiery and could most definitely hold his own.  Thor had never really had anyone snap at him the way Loki did, and the kid was only 15 (a fact he and his friends had found out just a few days ago).  Maybe Loki was so bold because he was new in town and didn’t know who Thor was; didn’t know that he should be _afraid_. 

 

Most people in this town understood that Thor was someone who should not be crossed.  Even if they might not fully understand why, or what, exactly, he, his friends, and his family were up to, they still knew enough just by looking at him that he meant “trouble.”  Loki didn’t seem to have that sense of self-preservation, and something about that was thrilling to Thor.  The thought that maybe he would have a chance to _teach_ Loki to respect him always sent a pang of arousal to his gut.  It was a thought he often had when Loki turned those defiant green eyes on to him.

 

And the fact that he was also quite easy on the eyes, well… Thor would keep those thoughts to himself.   But, he really liked the look of Loki.  Small and thin, with pretty lips and big eyes. He had skin that Thor knew would bruise easily, but it made him all the more eager to touch.  And Thor really liked that thick black hair.  He could tell Loki probably spent hours straightening it, but it ultimately ended up just poofing up in the high summer heat, but Thor liked seeing it curl.  And whenever Loki said something snarky or dismissive to him, Thor always felt his fingers itching to just reach out and grab him by the hair and pull until the boy was on his knees and obeying whatever Thor said.          

 

It was interesting that he had caught Loki looking. He knew that whenever he teased Loki the boy’s eyes always became wide and color would jump to his cheeks.  Thor wasn’t stupid.  If Loki really had a problem with talking to him, he would just ignore him.  Thor could tell he was smart and probably knew how to talk his way out of most any unpleasant situation.  But Loki always stopped when Thor called out to him; he always responded.  And Thor could tell that when Loki came through the backyard his eyes were always scanning for him.  The boy probably didn’t realize it, but he _liked_ the attention Thor gave him.  And Thor wouldn’t lie—getting Loki worked up was fun.  But he was starting to wonder if maybe he could have a different type of fun…

* * *

 

Loki wanted to kick himself when he realized that he had allowed Thor to catch him looking.  How could he have been so stupid??  But, Loki had been looking at Thor out of his bedroom window since the first day of the project, and the older man had never caught him.  Loki knew it was because he had let his guard down.  From the looks of it, _Fandral_ had been the one to draw Thor’s attention to Loki’s window.  He always forgot about Fandral.  Even though Fandral seemed to be a laid back, happy-go-lucky type, he had keen eyes and seemed to observe _everything_.  The other two were less involved.  Hogun barely paid him any attention, and Volstagg, while friendly and boisterous, mostly only seemed interested in Loki if he had some food to offer.  But, Fanrdal?  Fandral was _nosy_.

 

Sighing, Loki uncurled himself from his position below the window.  He had dropped down there as soon as his brain had been able to process that Thor was looking at him.  To say he was embarrassed would be an understatement.  Apart from the fact that showing Thor any kind of attention would undermine the “indifferent” persona Loki had been able to build up when it came to Thor and his jibes, Loki also knew it probably told Thor something _else_.  That, not only was Loki’s dislike of him partially a show, but that Loki was actually _interested_ in him.  The thought made Loki’s face flame up in embarrassment yet again.  Letting out a groan of frustration, he dropped his burning face into his hands. 

 

Could this day get any worse? 

* * *

A few hours later, Thor and his friends were packing up the van and getting ready to head out for the day when they looked up to see Laufey walking briskly out of the house and calling out to them.  When he reached them, he seemed a little out of breath and slightly panicky.  The four men glanced between each other, not sure what was going on. 

 

“I know I said you boys could head out for the day, but I just got called into my office.  Seems there’s some type of emergency and I need to get over there ASAP,” Laufey quickly began to explain.

 

“I had wanted to catch you all before you left, because Loki and I have been having a lot of trouble in the plumbing for our upstairs bathroom.  I had hoped I’d be able to get to it myself, today, but I doubt I’ll be back before it’s dark out.  I just want to make sure I get that fixed before Loki and I have to go another night with ice cold showers.  So, could one of you check it out for me while I’m gone?  I’ll add whatever the cost is on to the bill, of course,” Laufey said with a beseeching look.

 

Thor glanced back at his friends.  They had all just agreed to meet up at the local bar for drinks and a couple games of pool.  Everyone had been looking forward to it.  He didn’t want to cut into their evening by asking one of them to do it.  And, besides, if it was an easy fix Thor figured he’d be able to meet up with them within the hour.

 

“No worries,” Thor said, as he forced a smile.  “I’ll check it out for you and give it the old Borson stamp of approval.  I’m sure I’ll have your pipes working good as new.”

 

Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were silent behind him, but Thor could sense the change in their demeanor.  They all seemed relieved.  And Laufey’s bright grin as well informed Thor that his “sacrifice” had been greatly appreciated.

 

“That’s great, Thor.  Thank you so much.  Seriously. That really helps me out,” Laufey said as he patted Thor on his shoulder.  “Loki’s in the house, so if you need anything just holler for him.  And when you’re on your way out, just make sure to let him know so he can lock up behind you.”

 

Before Thor could say another word, Laufey was slinging his satchel over his shoulder and hurriedly making his way to his car. 

* * *

Loki was somewhat relieved when his father hurriedly told him he had to run to the office.  Of course, he wasn’t happy that there seemed to be some kind of emergency in the new office-space.  But, Laufey had been home _every day_ since they moved.  He had said he thought it was important that he be around in the first few weeks to ensure Loki’s transition to the new house and neighborhood.  He wasn’t set to start work “full time” until the end of the summer, but had agreed to work on a few cases part-time until then.  But Laufey had made sure to promise Loki that, as part of their “fresh start,” he would be better at being home for dinner and around on the weekends.  He told Loki he really intended to _be_ there for him.

 

That was all fine and dandy with Loki (to an extent; Laufey was trying a _bit_ too hard to be his dad _and_ his mom).  But Laufey’s constant presence was starting to become somewhat smothering.  Especially because it had started to cramp Loki’s style.  Loki had barely had a moment to himself, and, more importantly, a chance to jack off in peace since they _moved_.  And a furtive quick tug in the bathroom—purely for relief, not for fun—wasn’t the way he liked to do it.  

 

But now that Laufey had been called into the office—having only been able to promise Loki that he would try to make it back at least for dinner if the crisis wasn’t as major as the assistant had made it seem—Loki figured he had at least a couple of hours to be _alone_.  And what did Loki want to do in that alone time?  Watch porn. 

 

Loki liked watching videos of boys being dominated by bigger, stronger men.  At first, he didn’t know why he liked it so much.  His interest in porn had started like any general first foray—it had been vanilla.  But soon he had gotten bored and found himself looking at videos of women dominating men.  Those had made his heart beat faster and eyes widen.  It was the idea that someone could be in control of a man, be in control of _him._ But soon after that, he had started to realize that that just wasn’t enough for him.  Maybe it was because the women didn’t appeal to him as much, or maybe it was because he couldn’t imagine himself in the scenarios.  So he had kept searching. 

 

And when he had stumbled across his first gay video—and came harder than he ever had before—he hadn’t known what to think about his reaction. All he knew was that watching it had made his mouth go dry, his heart beat faster, and his body heat up.  And somewhere deep down inside he knew that part of the reason he liked it so much was because those strong, demanding men were everything Loki wasn’t.  They were the complete opposite of him.  And when he imagined himself in the place of those boys, he didn’t think of himself as _weak._ It just felt “right.” Even now, he didn’t think there was any point in analyzing what liking those videos _really_ meant.  He told himself it didn’t say anything about him at all. They were just… a hobby.

 

Slipping on his headphones as he plugged them into his computer, Loki quickly typed in the address for his favorite site.  He also made sure to get his supplies out which consisted of copious amounts of tissues and a small bottle of lube. 

 

He hesitated for a second, hand hovering over the button to his jeans, wondering if the coast was really “clear” for him to do this.  Loki was pretty sure his dad said the contractors were done for the day, but even if they weren’t, there would be no need for any of them to come upstairs.  So, grinning to himself, Loki quickly pulled the zipper down and slipped out of his jeans. 

* * *

Thor took the stairs two at a time, glad for the thick carpeting which muffled the sounds of his heavy work-boots hitting the floor beneath.  He didn’t need Loki—wherever the kid was—complaining to his dad about him clomping around their house.

 

As he arrived on the upstairs landing, Thor paused and looked around a bit.  There didn’t seem to be much up there except for rooms, as he could only see one hallway and 4 doors.  Laufey had shouted to Thor over his shoulder that the bathroom was at the opposite end of the hallway. 

 

There were a few pictures on the walls in the hallway.  Some were clearly school photos of Loki when he was in elementary school.  Others had a woman with curly dark hair and blue eyes.  He immediately recognized that she must be Loki’s mother.  While Loki very clearly had his father’s coloring, it was apparent that his fine facial features came from his mother.  Even his skin tone.  Laufey wasn’t anywhere near as tan as Thor and his friends, but he had a ruddier complexion than his almost porcelain-pale son. 

 

Shrugging to himself, Thor decided it’d be best to keep his mind focused on what he came here to do.  His friends were waiting for him down at the bar.  Stepping further down the hallway, boots practically mute on the carpeted floors, he noticed that the door to the left of the bathroom was cracked slightly open.  He wondered for a second if Loki was actually upstairs, but he didn’t hear any noises coming from inside. 

 

He had a sudden desire to know what Loki’s room was like; how the boy lived.  But he didn’t think it was worth it for him to be found snooping around. With his luck, as soon as he pushed the door open and stepped inside, Loki would come upstairs.  And Thor knew if Loki caught him, he would never hear the end of it.  Rolling his eyes as he shook his head, he walked past the open door and turned the handle on the door at the end of the hallway.  To his relief, it really was the bathroom.  Stepping in, Thor closed the door behind him, ready to get to work.  

* * *

It had taken Loki more time than usual to find what he was looking for.  He had started a few videos, only to abandon them before he even got a good hard-on going.  His was a very particular taste, often dictated by his moods.  However, for some reason, _today_ the guys just didn’t look _right_.  He had clicked out of a number of videos because some of the guys weren’t big enough, but he also found himself passing on videos where the guys were _too_ big (Loki had never liked the look of a guy who seemed like he had chemically-induced muscle-mass).  In some of the videos the guys were too hairy, but Loki also found that he was disappointed if they didn’t have a beard or at least a little scruff.  He also wanted them to have longish hair.  And for some odd reason he wanted that hair to be _blonde_ …

 

Blushing, Loki grumbled to himself.  He refused to put much thought into it.  It shouldn’t be surprising that his recent tastes had turned into something that seemed similar to Thor. All the guys here were Thor-like.  It didn’t _mean_ anything at all.  Sighing, Loki continued to browse through the videos until he paused over one in particular.  From the image he could see a burly man with a thick, yet neatly trimmed beard and dirty blonde hair.  He was a bit bulkier and seemed maybe 10 years older than Thor, but he was close enough in height and coloring that Loki immediately felt his pulse quickening.  And the boy featured in the video was slight in build (still more muscular than Loki, he noted a bit enviously), fair-skinned, and sporting straight black hair with longish bangs.  _Close enough_ , Loki thought to himself.

 

Quickly pressing play, Loki made himself comfortable as the video began.  As the images appeared on his screen, he could already tell that he was going to like where this was headed.  The burly man was playing the role of the younger one’s stepfather and he was chastising the boy for having gotten in trouble at school.  He told him that he needed to be disciplined and roughly grabbed the boy, pulling his clothes off.  As the boy resisted, Loki felt his breathing quicken and body heat up.   And when the bigger man threw the naked boy on to the bed, Loki had to stifle a moan as his hand slipped down to palm at his own throbbing cock.

 

He pushed himself to his knees and then positioned his body so that he was lying on his chest with his ass in the air.  This was the position he liked the best.  It allowed him to pretend he was being pushed down, smothered, and dominated.  It made his fantasy real.  Quickly grabbing the bottle of lube, Loki squeezed out a dollop and rubbed it between his fingers.  With panting breaths, he brought two slick fingers up to his hole and began to caress the fluttering muscle.  Almost immediately, an unbidden moan slipped from his lips. 

 

Loki liked the feeling of touching himself there, stroking at and circling his hole.  But he had never actually tried to put his fingers inside.  For some reason, the thought of it made him nervous. He always imagined what it would feel like—fingers, toys, a tongue… a _cock_.  But his imagination, coupled with the stimulation he got from teasing the sensitive nerves there, while he stroked his cock, had always been more than enough for him to get off.  And he had never had a need to go further. 

 

Sighing as his eyes followed what was taking place on the screen, Loki stroked his hole like the man in the video was stroking the boy’s.  He brought his other hand up to his cock and began a slow rhythm.  When the boy in the video let out a low moan as the man slipped one of his thick fingers inside, Loki found himself moaning as well, and turned his head, biting the collar of his t-shirt, filling his mouth with fabric to try to keep the noise down.  Even though he was naked from the waist down, he always liked to keep his shirt on.  He liked the feeling of it rubbing over his sensitive skin and nipples, and he liked that it was something to hold on to; it helped keep him grounded.

 

As the man began to fuck the boy with his fingers, his moans got louder and needier.  The boy had quickly given up his fight.  He had tried to pretend he didn’t want it, but soon he was crying out “Daddy” over and over again; begging for it.  Loki began to whimper as his hand moved faster over his straining cock, and his slippery fingers massaged his hole.  All that was going through his mind were the words “Thor, Thor, Thor,” and as Loki felt his climax nearing, he wondered what it would feel like if Thor did this to him.    

* * *

As Thor stepped out of the bathroom, having successfully dealt with the faulty pipes, he heard a strange sound that caused him to stop in his tracks.  It sounded like whimpering.  At first Thor thought it was the sound of someone in pain, but as the sound of a long moan filled the hallway, he immediately knew what the sound was and felt a jolt of arousal shoot to his groin.  That sound definitely wasn’t _pain_. Thor grinned to himself.  Loki _was_ upstairs, after all. 

 

Dropping his toolbox next to the bathroom door, Thor stepped over to the room on the left with the slightly ajar door.  Toeing the door open with his foot, Thor wasn’t quite expecting what he saw.  He thought he was going to catch Loki with his pants down, and the boy would quickly scramble to cover himself and hide in embarrassment.  He had thought he would have been able to _humiliate_ Loki.  But, instead, he came upon the sight of Loki, with his ass in the air, fingers playing with his hole while his other hand worked between his thighs, and his t-shirt stuffed in his mouth, but doing little to quiet his moans.  The boy had headphones on and seemed to be watching some type of porn. Or, he _had_ been watching.  Loki was so far gone in his own pleasure that his eyes were squeezed shut, but Thor was sure that the sounds he was hearing through his headphones were probably more than enough to give Loki what he needed to get off.

 

As Thor stepped further into the room, unable to stop himself after the sight his eyes had taken in, he could now more clearly see what was on the screen.  It was a big, blonde man roughly fucking a skinny, dark-haired twink.   That turned Thor on so much he literally felt his thickening cock jump in his jeans.  If this wasn’t a sign that Loki wanted him, Thor didn’t know what was.  And, was the fact that Thor had walked in on Loki, with his firm, plump little ass on display as he played with his hole, _really_ a coincidence, or had this been the boy’s plan all along? 

 

He grinned as he closed the door behind him and toed off his boots.  The sounds of Loki’s soft moans were like music to his ears, and, as he approached the bed, he undid the button on his jeans, reaching inside the waistband to give his cock a squeeze, hoping to take some of the edge off.   Closer now, Thor could see the flush highlighting every inch of Loki’s skin, from his neck to the cheeks of his ass and even the  tips of his ears.  And he liked the way the loose t-shirt hung off of Loki’s shoulder, making the boy seem more lewd than if he had been fully naked.   Thor felt his mouth go dry at the thought of actually fucking Loki and, even though he had initially come into the room to play a prank, he now knew that he wouldn’t be leaving this room until he got what he wanted.   

 

Coming up behind Loki, Thor leaned one knee down on the bed, and Loki’s eyes flew open in surprise, having felt the shift beneath him.  As Loki looked at Thor in shock, the clear dread registering on his face, he tried to scramble to get up, but Thor quickly wrapped one of his big arms across Loki’s chest, securing the boys arms to his sides and pulling Loki so his back was flush with Thor’s chest. 

 

“What the fuck!?” Loki almost screeched as he twisted and turned to try to free himself from Thor’s grasp.

 

Thor chuckled as he expended little energy to keep Loki still, and laughed outright when Loki’s struggling caused his headphones to pull out of the jack in his computer and the sound of loud moans and frantic fucking filled the room.  He watched as Loki’s face became even more horrified.

 

“What are you doing, you motherfucker!?” Loki asked, voice breaking as if he were about to cry.  “Let me go! You think this is funny?? You’ve gone _too_ far this time!  Just let me _go_!!”

 

“Shh, shh,” Thor said into Loki’s ear, the warm breath making Loki shudder. “Don’t get so upset.”  

“Let me go, right now, o-or I swear to God I’ll-” Loki started, and Thor could see the wetness forming in his eyes.  The boy was obviously mortified, but something about his vulnerability, and the shame he was experiencing, made Thor’s cock stiffen even more.  For some reason, he wanted to see Loki cry.

 

“Do you want me to tell your father what I caught you doing, huh?” Thor asked, voice harsh.  “Does he know you’re a little queer?”

 

As soon as the words left Thor’s mouth, Loki’s body went still.  Thor couldn’t see his face anymore, as he had hung his head, the long, messy locks hiding him from Thor’s view, but he could still hear him.

 

“Please,” Loki said softly, voice barely above a whisper.  “C-come on, Thor.  Don’t do that… My father doesn’t have to… Please don’t tell him.  _Please_.” 

 

 “I won’t tell him,” Thor said after a moment had passed.  He felt Loki physically relax against him, and couldn’t help the predatory grin that spread over his lips as he reached down with his free hand.  When his hand closed around Loki’s semi-hard cock the boy jumped in surprise and began struggling again.

 

“Wh-what are you doing??  Let go of me, you asshole,” Loki spat, trying to shake Thor loose.

 

“Hmm… why would I do that?” Thor asked as he languidly began to stroke up and down Loki’s shaft, feeling the boy’s cock quickly come back to life.  “I didn’t say _I_ had a problem with queers.”

 

It seemed like Loki was going to say something in protest, but instead a long moan spilled unbidden from his lips as he threw his head back, the back of his head colliding with Thor’s shoulder.  Thor watched as Loki’s half-lidded eyes met his own and the boy’s face reddened in embarrassment.  But, instead of mocking him, Thor just gripped his cock more firmly and began to increase the speed of his hand.  Loki’s body tensed and he began to buck up into Thor’s hand, seemingly against his will. Thor watched with hunger as more moans tumbled from Loki’s rosy pink lips, and his cock jumped again when Loki’s tongue darted out to wet them.

 

“Shit,” Thor growled as he released Loki's cock and pushed his body forward, rolling Loki on to his stomach.

 

“What’re you doing?” Loki asked, panic clear in his voice as he felt Thor's hand pressing down on his upper back, restricting his movement. 

 

“Where’s your lube?” Thor asked, voice thick with lust.

 

“ _What_??” Loki asked, as he tried to push up off the bed, but found that he couldn’t shake Thor off of him.

 

“Lube, now,” Thor demanded again as he reached down to palm at his own cock, feeling like he was ready to burst.

 

“Thor, no, seriously, you can’t-” Loki began as he turned his head to try to look at Thor over his shoulder.  Thor could hear the fear in his voice, but he ignored him.

 

“Kid, I’m not going to ask you again,” Thor said. “I can do this without, but, trust me, you’re not going to like it.”

 

Loki let out a sob of disbelief and turned his face away, burying it into the covers, refusing to respond to Thor’s demand.  Thor let out a growl of frustration.  He had half a mind to slap Loki’s ass to get the boy talking, but then he spied the bottle of lube tucked under one of the pillows and reached out for it.

 

When Loki heard the click of the bottle opening, he tensed up again, resuming his struggle and turning to look at Thor again.

 

“Thor, _please_ ,” he said, looking at him with wide eyes.

 

“Don’t act like you don’t want this,” Thor said as he moved between Loki’s legs. 

 

Spreading Loki’s thighs with the force of his own, Thor let out a hum of approval as Loki’s cheeks parted. He squeezed the bottle above him, pouring a dollop of the slick substance right between Loki’s cheeks, causing him to jump at the coldness.

 

“Thor, _don’t_ ,” Loki said, voice cracking as he began to cry in earnest. “Please, please don’t.”   

 

“Shut up,” Thor huffed as he tossed the bottle back on to the bed, and slid his fingers between Loki’s cleft, feeling the warmth there.  Loki trembled beneath him and Thor could hear him sniffling into the bed covers.

 

Thor let his fingers slide back and forth in the crevasse, coating them with the lubricant, before he spread Loki’s cheeks with his thumb and forefinger to get a better look at the small, pink hole.  Before Loki could open his mouth to protest again, Thor began pressing his thick finger against the tight furl of muscle.  He could hear Loki whimpering beneath him and when his finger finally bullied its way inside Loki let out a sharp yelp of pain.

 

 “Ow! No! Stop—that hurts!  Don’t do that!” Loki protested as he tried to twist away from Thor’s grip.

 

Thor let out a grunt as he held Loki down more firmly and steadily worked his finger inside the pulsing channel.

 

“Shit, you’re tight,” he panted as he watched his finger worm its way deeper inside.  “You don’t fuck your hole often, do you?”

 

“N-no.  I’ve n-never put anything inside.  _Oww_.  It hurts, please,” Loki whined through his tears.

 

Thor paused for a moment and looked up at Loki.  The boy’s eyes were squeezed shut, teeth gritted and shoulders hunched and tensed.  Thor didn’t know why the news had surprised him.  The Loki he had seen writhing on the bed only moments before, ass on display like a cheap whore, had seemed so wanton and lewd.  But hearing that not even he had touched himself in this way before had Thor’s already leaking cock becoming even stiffer in his jeans.

 

“Virgin hole, huh?” he asked gruffly, voice thick with desire, as he looked down at the place where his finger was sunk deep inside of Loki’s body.  “That makes me want to do this even more, kid.”

 

Loki whined as Thor slowly pulled his finger out and then plunged it back in.  But it was less forceful than the first time.  His insides throbbed and he felt like he couldn’t catch his breath, but it didn’t _burn_ like it had when Thor had first pushed in. Trembling, all Loki could do was ball his hands into fists on the bed as he tried to relax. 

 

Watching Loki try to adjust to the size of his finger within him made Thor’s head fuzzy with need.  But, even though his cock felt like it was near to bursting, Thor knew he wouldn’t be able to fuck him today.  Thor loved the fact that Loki was a virgin.  The idea that no one else had ever gotten a chance to see him this way and that Thor would be the first to teach him all about fucking, made Thor feel possessive and powerful.  But he also knew that breaking Loki in would take time.  It couldn’t be a quick fuck, and time was something he just didn’t have today.

 

Instead, he decided he’d give Loki a taste of what was to come.  Leaning forward he moved his hand off of Loki’s back and let his upper body rest on top of Loki’s pressing the smaller body down into the mattress.  Loki let out a whine of displeasure as he felt Thor on top of him, the weight of his body almost squeezing the air out of him.  He felt smothered and overwhelmed.  Fitting his body against Loki’s, Thor began to kiss and suck against the back of Loki’s neck, and he smirked when he heard a whimper that sounded close to a moan.  He began to pump his finger in, in slow deep strokes, listening to the mewls and whimpers Loki would make.

 

With Thor on top of him like this, Loki could concentrate on nothing else.  The way Thor was kissing on his neck… the feel of his warm breath on his skin and his beard scratching his neck made Loki’s stomach clench up and his heart beat faster.   And he could smell Thor all around him, a musky mix of sweat, the outdoors, and something that made Loki’s mouth water.  Instead of being put off, Loki felt like he couldn’t get enough of it, breathing it in with every pitiful breath he was able to take.   And he could feel the heat of Thor’s body.  How big he was; how much stronger he was.  And the feeling of Thor _inside_ of him.  It was just his finger, but it was thick and it was spreading him open.  And even though it was uncomfortable, Loki still found himself getting hard.  He found himself trying to fight the urge to push back against Thor’s hand every time he thrust the digit inside of him.  And he just couldn’t help it.  He _moaned_.

 

“I told you, you fucking wanted it,” Thor panted against his neck.  “You’re such a slut for me, aren’t you?”

 

Before Loki could respond, Thor began to thrust his finger faster, causing Loki to let out broken gasps and moans.  Eyes squeezed shut, and lost in the feeling of Thor dominating him, Loki barely noticed when the pressure was removed from his back and Thor sat up slightly.  But his eyes sprang open when he felt the hot flesh of Thor’s cock against his ass.  He flinched and tried to turn around, but Thor’s hand had returned to his back, pressing him down, and he was slipping his finger out of him.

 

Loki gasped when he felt the thick length slide between his cheeks, in the place where Thor's finger had just been, and his body tensed with fear.  But instead of pushing into him, Thor proceeded to slide his cock between the slick cheeks, grunting.  Loki trembled and pressed his face into the covers, to hide it from Thor.  His face was burning with a mixture of shame and excitement. It thrilled him to feel Thor like this, with him so close to taking him.  But it also embarrassed him that he actually wanted it.  Shouldn’t he be angry?  Shouldn’t he be fighting more?  Why was he letting Thor do this?

    

And then a broken moan was ripped from his lips as he felt Thor’s cockhead catch on his ring on one of Thor’s downward strokes and couldn’t stop himself from bucking up to meet him.

 

“Relax little slut,” Thor said as he pushed down on his back again to get him to lay still.  “I know you want my cock, but not today.”

 

Loki was so embarrassed that he wanted to cry, but instead he continued to press his face into the sheets, hoping Thor couldn’t hear his soft moans.  But he did like it.  He liked feeling Thor’s thick cock between his ass cheeks, and knowing that Thor could do anything with him that he wanted. 

 

Thor’s thrusts began to quicken, and Loki knew he was close.  Loki already knew that he, himself, had made a mess of his sheets with the amount of pre-come he was leaking and that every time Thor’s cock brushed against his sensitive hole more and more spilled out of him.  As Thor’s thrusts became more forceful, Loki felt Thor’s thighs slamming against his own, and the sound of skin hitting skin served to turn him on even more.  He just wished he could actually touch his cock, but Thor’s weight on top of him barely gave him enough room to breathe, let alone move.

 

But then Thor was grabbing his hair, pulling his head up and causing his neck to strain as he gave a few more rough thrusts and then Loki heard him grunt in his ear before he felt warm liquid hitting his lower back and ass.  He gasped and trembled as he realized that Thor had come.  With a few more languorous thrusts, Thor released his hold on Loki’s hair, allowing his head to drop to the mattress. 

 

And then Thor was climbing off of him and buttoning up his jeans as if nothing had happened.  Loki turned over his shoulder to stare at Thor in shock, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now.  He watched on as Thor pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, and read over a few messages, and then looked on, stupefied, as Thor spent time writing a response before he tucked the phone back in his pocket and looked up at Loki.

 

“What… ? I don’t... I don't understand…” Loki began in a breathy voice, unable to formulate a coherent sentence.   

 

But Thor just smirked at him as he began to pull on his boots.  

 

“What is it that you don’t understand, huh?  I gave you what you wanted, didn’t I?” Thor asked.

 

Loki blushed as he looked away, feeling anger and shame coming over him at Thor’s mocking tone.

 

“Don’t worry.  We’ll have more fun next time.  See you, kid,” Thor said as he winked at him.

 

And then, just like that, he walked out of his room.

 

Loki flopped back down on his stomach, unwilling to roll over on to his back with the copious amounts of come he could feel was plastered across it.  He was frustrated and embarrassed.  He was confused.  But more than anything else, he was still _hard_.   His body throbbed from everywhere Thor had touched.   Thor had done with him as he wanted; gotten Loki all worked up, and then had left him unsatisfied.  It was clear Thor didn’t care whether Loki had enjoyed it or not.  All Thor had been interested in was getting  himself off.  Thor had _used_ him. 

 

The thought caused Loki’s stomach to clench uncomfortably.  He didn’t know what to think about what had happened tonight.  Thor had scared him initially, and although Loki now knew he couldn’t deny he was _attracted_ to the older man, that didn’t mean he _liked_ him.  Thor was still an asshole who thought he could do whatever he wanted.  Even in this, something as significant as sex, Thor was still making fun of him.  Thor didn’t respect him.  And if Loki didn’t put his foot down, Thor was going to walk all over him. 

 

As Loki got to his feet and shrugged off his come-stained t-shirt with a look of disgust, he told himself that, regardless of what Thor thought, he was never going to let this happen again. 

* * *

A/N: What’d you think of that for a first chapter?? It was really supposed to be a PWP, with the “main action” (of course) being this last bit at the end.  But I felt like I had to _explain_ who Loki was and give, at least, an inkling of insight into Thor’s character, and I ended up having pages and pages of non-smut. Haha.  Anyway, hope to see you in the next installment (which hopefully won’t be as whopping-ly long as this one O_O)!  In the meantime, please let me know your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:  Thanks so much for all the great responses I got to this fic! Love you all! (Love this fandom!!)  Now prepare yourself for more trashy Thorki fun :3. 

Oh, and I have a tumblr now!  Nothing much there yet, but follow me if you’d like!  laydee-liesmith.tumblr.com/

* * *

Following Thor’s abrupt departure, Loki had quickly squirreled himself away in the bathroom.  Soon after stepping into the shower, he had preceded to jerk himself off, spurred on by the pounding of his heart and the sound of water drumming all around him, as he rehashed what had just happened.  It only took him about 5 firm strokes before he was tensing up and coming, gritting his teeth to keep the sounds down.  But, seconds after that, once his head had cleared and he was able to catch his breath, Loki found himself _sobbing_.

 

He leaned up against the wet tiles, and found his body giving over to the heavy sobs.  He was embarrassed, and angry, and feeling like he had been made a fool of.  Was he easy?  Should he have fought more?  Clearly, Thor hadn’t done those things because he _liked_ him.  Instead, Thor acted as if he was doing Loki a “favor;” as if Loki should be grateful that Thor had even given him a moment of his time.  And that made Loki feel low and ashamed.  But, the fact that Loki had gotten hard—that he had moaned and pushed back to meet Thor’s thrusts, and had _liked_ it—made him feel like a slut.  Like he didn’t _deserve_ better than what Thor had done to him. 

 

Wiping a hand over his face to clear it of the tears, Loki frowned.  He realized he probably “liked” Thor.  More than just finding him attractive, or finding something about his intimidating bulk and his dangerous features exhilarating, Loki _liked_ Thor and he wanted Thor to like him.  Granted, Loki couldn’t quite put his finger on what _about_ Thor he liked, since the man had said few words to him and, when he did deign to speak to Loki, it was usually something insulting.  But hearing that deep rumbling voice always made his stomach do flip flops.  And he always felt a thrill go through him whenever those sky-blue eyes landed on him, giving him all his attention.  And, to be honest, Loki _liked_ it when Thor smiled at him—as rare as that was.

 

So, Loki knew he couldn’t blame himself for being weak and succumbing when Thor was finally close enough to touch.  When the searing heat of Thor’s big body—noticeable even through his layers of clothing—was pressed up against Loki’s smaller frame.  When he could inhale Thor’s scent with every breath he took.  And when Thor had gotten hard, for _him_.  The thought of it made Loki blush as his mind flashed back to the feeling of Thor’s thick, hot cock pressing up against his skin.  Just thinking about it made Loki tremble. 

 

But, just because Thor reacted to him, didn’t mean he _liked_ him.  Loki truly believed that he could’ve been _anyone_ , and Thor would have reacted the same way.  Sure, Thor had all but _promised_ that there would be a repeat of what had happened that afternoon.  A thought that made a nervous flutter arise in Loki’s stomach.  But, that didn’t mean Loki was anything special.  Again, that didn’t feel good. 

 

Loki knew he was young.  He knew he didn’t “get” a lot of things. But the one thing Loki understood was pride.  And, whether he liked Thor or not, he wasn’t going to let Thor think he could just take what he wanted.  Thor wasn’t _entitled_ to him.  At least that’s what Loki told himself.      

* * *

The days following “the incident,” as Loki had dubbed it, were tense.  He was afraid to see Thor.  Most of it was because Loki really didn’t trust himself to stand his ground.  Even though he told himself Thor was a bad person, and that he really shouldn’t have done the things he had done to him, that didn’t stop Loki from staying up at all hours of the night plagued by his memories, body hot and pulsing with need as he touched himself.  It didn’t stop him from hoping that Thor would _kiss_ him the next time.  Or wondering, as he walked through his house, almost as if on eggshells, if Thor would jump out from somewhere and grab him, pressing him up against a wall, and press his body against his, showing Loki how much he _wanted_  him. 

 

But some of it was also a certain sense of genuine fear.  Thor was big, and he was brash.  And Loki just wasn’t quite sure if Thor would stop if Loki didn’t want to do something.  He didn’t seem like he had had any intention of stopping the last time.  And Loki wasn’t quite sure the extent of what he would be _willing_ to do with Thor.  He just didn’t have that much experience.  Well, none to be more exact.  He had kissed a few people back in high school, mostly at parties or on dares.  But nothing… nothing like what Thor had done to him in his room that day.  It had ultimately felt good—once the pain of Thor’s roughness had passed—but not having control, and not knowing whether Thor would stop or not, was scary in the cold light of day. 

 

So he had taken to avoiding Thor.  It had become somewhat easier because after the “crisis” at work, which had included a pipe bursting and injuring one of the partners at the small, three-person firm, Laufey had been unceremoniously recruited to cover the injured partner’s caseload.  Which meant he suddenly was out of the house for a greater portion of the day.  And which also meant that he was too busy to worry about Loki “wasting his summer” locked up in the house.   Loki knew that the contractors had very little reason to come into the house and, so far, after four days, he hadn’t run into a single one of them.

 

On the fifth day, Loki _did_ start to get a bit stir crazy, though, since he had gotten somewhat accustomed to walking aimlessly around the town.  Or at least going for a run.  So, on that morning, he got up at 7am and went for a jog, knowing that the workers often didn’t arrive until around 9am.   When he was rounding the corner back on to his street, he came to an abrupt halt, seeing the telltale van parked at the curb.  It was only 8:30.  Attempting to avoid any contact, Loki hurriedly began walking past the backyard fence, intent on going through the front door.  But then one of the van’s doors slammed and he flinched as someone called out his name.

 

Turning around, already preparing himself for the worst, Loki was somewhat relieved to see it was just Fandral.   

 

“Hey, Lokes!” Fandral called as he walked toward him, balancing a long piece of lumber on one of his shoulders. 

 

Loki couldn’t help but make a face at the nickname, and Fandral laughed out loud. 

 

“Where have you _been_?  We were so used to seeing you at least once a day and then you just up and disappeared.  Volstagg has been just downright devastated since you’ve stopped bringing him treats,” Fandral said with a rueful shake of his head.

 

Loki relaxed slightly and shrugged one shoulder noncommittally.

 

“I guess I got busy,” Loki said hurriedly.

 

He couldn’t help his eyes from darting around, looking at the van, then the backyard, then back to Fandral again.

 

“Um… what are you guys doing here so early?” he asked, trying to feign indifference but, internally, he was anxious that Thor would walk out of the backyard at any moment.

 

Fandral let out a heavy sigh.

 

“Well, to be honest, we’re usually _supposed_ to be here this early.  Thor’s not exactly a morning person so, because he has the van, we usually have to wait for him to get his shit together,” Fandral said with an eye roll.  “But he’s got some um… other business to do today.  So he let us take the van so we could get to work without him.”

 

Loki’s eyes widened.

 

“Thor’s not here?” he asked.

 

Fandral shrugged. 

 

“Nope. And depending on when he finishes the extra job he’s working on, he might not be here at all today.  Why?” Fandral asked as he arched an eyebrow and smirked.  “You miss him?”

 

Loki flushed and glared at the obnoxious man.

           

“No,” he said.  “Quite the opposite actually.”

 

“Ah, I see,” Fandral said, smile dropping a bit.  “Well… I’m not surprised.  Thor’s a bit… ah… “difficult” to deal with, if that’s the right word to use.  But, he’s really not so bad once you get past all his multifaceted layers of “impossible-ness.”

 

Loki couldn’t help but laugh a bit at that.

 

“Buuut,” Fandral continued, smile returning.  “We had wanted you to come out so we could show you our surprise.”

 

“Surprise?” Loki asked, as he wiped at his forehead.  The sun had started to beat down in full intensity, and Loki was already sweaty and winded from his run.  All he wanted to do was jump in the shower and then tumble into his bed to take a nap.

 

“We’re done resurfacing the pool!” Fandral exclaimed.

 

Loki blinked in surprise.  He thought back to the small in-ground pool, with its cracked flooring and derelict fence.  He remembered sneering at it when his father had showed it off proudly, as one of the more _attractive_ features of their new house.  The pool wasn’t anything special, but it was true that Loki had never had a pool before.  It seemed that having a pool was standard down here, where the summers got so hot that most time was spent either indoors or near a body of water.  So he had been a bit excited when his father told him they would have one in the new house.  But, what he had seen had seemed unsalvageable. And, in his disappointment, he had practically pushed its existence out of his mind.

 

“Yup,” Fandral continued.  “It was one of the first things we worked on.  Your dad made sure of it.  And, well, we’ve been kind of keeping it a secret, but we finished a few days ago and couldn’t wait to show it to you. It’s gonna be a scorcher today. Why don’t you hop in?”

 

Loki considered it for a moment. He had a pool all of a sudden.  Thor was apparently tied up somewhere else, and Loki really didn’t want to spend yet another day lurking around his own house.  Biting his lip in consternation as he imagined himself floating in the cool water, finally (maybe) getting a tan, Loki decided that he was getting in that pool.  

 

“Um… I guess…  Yeah, fine,” Loki said, as he gave Fandral a small smile.

 

Fandral’s eyes widened and he was soon grinning at him.

 

“Whoa!  A smile!” he exclaimed. “You should do that more often.  You’re really cute when you smile.”

 

Loki flushed and glared at him, causing Fandral to laugh. 

 

“Sorry, sorry.  I guess you don’t want to hear that, huh?  Well, don’t let my stupid comments keep you away.  Just come on out whenever you’re ready.  The pool’s all yours,” Fandral said with a wink before he turned and walked back to the fence, hefting the heavy lumber higher on his shoulder.

* * *

And Loki did just that.  Twenty minutes later, he was dipping his toe into the clear blue water staring down at the impressive changes he could see below its surface.  The pool had been resurfaced with bright white tiles and a mosaic pattern on the floor in light blues and yellows that looked almost like thunderbolts.  A new five-foot white vinyl fence that separated the pool from the rest of the expansive yard had been erected in place of the dilapidated old wood one that had clearly not been seen to in years.  

 

The new pool felt like a sort of oasis, so different from what Loki was used to back home, where everyone had small yards and the houses were pressed close together.  The backyard at their new house was large and surrounded two sides of the back of the house.  The pool was on the furthest side of the yard and, while Loki could still hear the sounds of the construction going on in the main part of the yard, it was still relatively quiet and secluded.  It was a place where he could just forget everything else going on around him.

 

Letting himself slide down into the cool water, Loki let out a sigh of relief.  Ducking below the surface, he let it cover his head and basked in the sudden muteness as the water blocked out everything else going on around him.  He pushed off with his feet, swimming underwater until his lungs burned and he was forced to come back up for air.  As he broke through the surface, swiping his hair back and gulping in air, he found himself feeling more relaxed.  Allowing himself to float lazily on his back, Loki stared up at the clear sky.  He imagined to himself that if he could just stay here, floating forever, things wouldn’t be all that complicated anymore.    

* * *

As Thor parked his motorcycle around the side of the house, he could hear the raucous sounds of his friends talking and laughing with each other over the continuing construction.  Shaking his head, he cut off the engine.  He wasn’t in the greatest of moods.  The deal he was supposed to be brokering—by request of Odin himself—had practically fallen through.  The buyers were, in Thor’s opinion, trying to cheat them and after two hours of attempting to negotiate, Thor had kicked the table over and stormed out, telling them all to watch their backs.  Before he had even made it back to the offices, he had gotten a call from Tyr, telling him that “the family” was very displeased with how things had gone.  It didn’t matter that they were trying to cheat them; Thor was expected to be more “diplomatic.”

 

So Thor had had to sit through an almost hour-long lecture from his father, telling him again how he was sure Thor wasn’t ready to take things over.  Thor had practically stormed out of _that_ meeting as well.  Now, all he wanted to do was hit something with his hands. And he’d take hammering a nail into wood if that was all he could get at the moment.   Anything to work this frustration out of his body.  

 

Throwing his leg over the side of his bike and planting his heavy boots on the ground, Thor quickly strode over to the back fence and pushed his way in.  His eyes scanned over the progress going on.  Things were going slow, but steady.  And Thor was at least pleased to see that everything they had been able to work on so far looked good.  He was particularly proud of the pool, their first completed project.  Everything else was being worked on in increments.  He saw that Volstagg and Fandral were working on paving the walkway that would lead from the backdoor to the deck they would be building outside.  And Hogun was busy digging space for a retaining wall around the large tree that cast the majority of shade across the backyard. 

 

“You’re back early,” Fandral hailed him as he caught sight of Thor.

 

Thor lifted his hand in greeting, pulling off his sunglasses and tucking them into the pocket of his red and blue plaid shirt. 

 

“And, good news: Loki’s finally using the pool,” Volstagg announced. 

 

Thor paused and glanced at the burly red-head. 

 

“He is?” Thor asked.

 

“Yeah.  It was weird. It’s like he’s been a ghost lately, right?  But Fandral caught him coming back from a run this morning and when he told him about it Loki seemed pretty excited.  He’s been back there for a few hours already,” Volstagg said with a laugh.

 

“Is that so?” Thor said, as the corners of his lips lifted up in a smirk.

 

He hadn’t seen Loki in  _days_.  Not since he had had him pressed down under him, writhing and moaning.  He knew the kid was avoiding him.  That much was obvious.  But the game of cat and mouse had started to become tedious for Thor.  Remembering the sounds Loki had made, and the way that soft, warm body had felt under his, made Thor want a repeat of it all very soon.  And it annoyed him that Loki was making it harder than it needed to be.   On top of being frustrated with work, Thor was _sexually_ frustrated.  Sure, he could get tail anywhere he wanted—it helped that he was a mob boss’s son and was attractive on top of that—but all he seemed to be able to think about lately was _Loki_. 

 

“Guess I’ll go check out how the pool’s holding up, then.  See if our bratty client has any problems he’d like to bring to our attention,” Thor said as he tied back his hair.  “You boys keep up the good work.  I’ll be back in a few.”

 

With that he began stalking his way to the back of the house.  He didn’t see the strange looks his friends exchanged as he walked away. 

* * *

When Thor walked through the open gate, he came upon the site of Loki lying out on the wooden deck surrounding the pool.  He was on a bright blue towel, his lithe body exposed to the sun, like he was hoping to pick up a bit of color, long hair fanned out around his head in a wavy halo.  Thor’s eyes raked down the pale chest and pink nipples, focusing especially on the way his hip bones jutted out above the waistband of his low-hanging black trunks. 

 

It was more than Thor had seen the first time, when his thoughts and vision had been clouded by his drive to ‘take, take, take.’  It had been a whirlwind of flushed, supple skin, silky black hair, and breathy moans.  He hadn’t given himself quite enough time to appreciate how objectively beautiful this kid was.  Now, Loki looked to him like the featured dish in some succulent buffet, ripe for the picking. 

 

Thor pulled the gate closed behind him, causing a clang to resonate out as it locked, and he watched as Loki’s body jerked with the sound.  Squinting his eyes open in the glaring son, Loki pushed himself up to his elbows and his whole body tensed when he took in the sight of Thor standing by the gate.  The one and only exit.   Thor could see the panic clear on the boy’s face as Loki’s eyes widened. 

 

He watched on silently as Loki pushed himself to his feet, grabbing the towel up as if it could somehow protect him from Thor.  As if Loki could keep _anything_ from Thor.

 

Pushing away from the gate, Thor stepped toward Loki and saw how the boy flinched.  But he didn’t back down or step away as Thor walked closer to him, closing the distance.  When he was about a foot away, it seemed Loki finally remembered how to make his mouth work.

 

“Wh-what are you doing here Thor?  I… I don’t want anything to do with you anymore,” Loki said as he squared his shoulders and stood to his full height, hoping to appear more imposing.

 

Thor’s eyebrow arched inquisitively, but all Loki’s words had seemed to do was amuse him.

 

“What am I doing here?  I came because I want to get my dick sucked and someone’s been hiding from me, making it particularly difficult to accomplish that,” he explained plainly.

 

Loki’s eyes widened and this time he did step back.  Loki hadn’t seen Thor in _days_.  And while the image of this god-like man, bronze body looking oh-so-perfect and hair practically shimmering in the sunlight, was a sight for sore eyes, Loki didn’t expect _that_ to be the first thing Thor would say to him.  His eyebrows lowered and the corner of his lip turned down in a scowl. 

 

“You… you can’t be serious.  There’s no way I’d do that!” Loki hissed.

 

Thor grinned at him.

 

“Oh, really?  From the way you were moaning and grinding your ass on to me the last time, I’d figured you’d just be dying to get this in your mouth,” Thor said as he reached down and grabbed at his cock through his jeans.

 

Loki’s cheeks flamed and he looked away in shame.  But then he steeled his shoulders and turned back to glare at Thor, a determined look on his face. 

 

“What you did last time… you know it’s a crime right?  You can’t… I’m 15, and you can’t do things like that to me.  I could tell my dad.  I could tell the _police_ ,” Loki threatened, feeling suddenly so much bolder as he considered the actual logic of his words.  Loki knew he was _right_ ; there’d be no way Thor could come up with some kind of comeback to that.    

 

Loki watched on as Thor’s expression darkened slightly as he tilted his head to the side and studied Loki, but Thor did not seem phased in the least, as if the threat was meaningless to him.  Instead, he just seemed displeased that Loki had brought it up in the first place.

 

“You’re right.  You _could_ do that.  But that wouldn’t be smart, Loki,” Thor said as he stepped forward, getting into Loki’s space and crowding him up against the fence. 

 

“Wh-why not?  I see no reason why it would be against my favor to report you, you asshole,” Loki growled, hoping he came across more confident than he was currently feeling in the moment.

 

Thor was looking down at him with cold blue eyes that made Loki shiver. 

 

“I’m a very bad man, Loki,” Thor said as he grabbed the boy by his arm, fingers squeezing in to his bicep, not hard enough to bruise but hard enough to make Loki hiss in discomfort.  “I guess you don’t know it, but my family’s what you’d call ‘connected.’”

 

Loki looked up at him skeptically.  He didn’t know very much about Thor at all.  And yes, he definitely was imposing and demanded attention, but Loki didn’t know if he could really believe Thor was… involved in _organized crime_.   The older man was often boorish and immature when he spoke to Loki.  But Loki did notice a type of quiet dangerousness about him. Often when Loki would look down at him from his window, and when he was sure Thor wouldn’t notice him, he could see Thor standing there, arms crossed over his powerful chest, and brows drawn down in concentration, as he oversaw the things that were going on around him. It was as if his eyes saw everything.  And there really did seem to be this calculating intelligence about him, even though he often acted as if he wanted people to think differently.  Thinking about it, Loki thought it really could be _possible_.  But, Thor could also be lying, just to scare him into doing what he wanted.  And Loki was having none of that. 

 

“I don’t believe you,” Loki said, eyes narrowing as he looked up into Thor’s blue ones.    

 

Thor laughed.  It was a mean laugh, but Loki still found the sound made something inside his stomach clench pleasantly. 

 

“Look me up,” Thor practically purred as he stepped closer to Loki, plaid-covered chest almost pressing up against Loki’s naked flesh.  “The Borson family has quite a history of being implicated in crimes that somehow end up just… going away.  We make it so that we can operate how we want to, and the charges just never stick.  That’s what we’re _good_ at.” 

 

Loki blinked at him in surprise. 

 

“So… sure, you _could_ run your pretty little mouth and tell someone that big bad Thor Borson did some nasty things to you.  But, unfortunately, sweetheart, it wouldn’t go anywhere,” Thor said, smile dropping.

 

He then stepped forward and grabbed a fistful of Loki’s hair, causing him to let out a yelp of pain.

 

“And… see, the people I work with don’t like snitches.  We don’t like the _hassle_ of being questioned or dragged down to the station. Of having our names smeared in the papers. And the people here?   They know _better_ than that.  So, when someone fucks with us like that, we fuck with them back,” Thor said, as he pulled Loki’s face close to him, staring at him with hard eyes, hot breath ghosting over Loki’s lips. 

 

Loki stared up at him with terrified eyes, hands scrabbling up to try to dislodge Thor’s grip from his locks.

 

“Bad things would happen.  We could make things very hard for you guys here.  Like I said, we’re good at things like that.  And people tend to get hurt when my guys get involved.  Something very bad could happen to someone you care about.  Like your _dad_ , Loki,” Thor warned him, eyes searching Loki’s for understanding.   

 

Loki froze, breath stuttering in his chest.  Thor couldn’t be _serious_ could he?  He couldn’t really mean that he would hurt his father if he didn’t do what he said.  Thor was cruel, but not _this_ cruel. 

 

“Thor, what’re you saying?” Loki asked, voice trembling slightly.

 

“I’m saying, get on your knees and suck my cock and we won’t have a problem,” Thor growled out, already feeling frustrated with having been kept waiting.

 

“I… I don’t want to,” Loki complained, trying to pull away again.

 

“You’re a liar and we both know it.  You’re a little cock-slut, Loki.  And if you need me to push you around so you can let yourself be who you really are I’m fine with that.  But I also have only so much patience.  So don’t make me really have to force you,” Thor warned.

 

Face flushing in shame, Loki told himself that that wasn’t _true._ But he still found himself nodding silently, giving in, and hoping Thor would at least let his hair go since he was cooperating.  But instead, he felt Thor pulling downwards on his strands, clearly telling him he wanted him down, and fast. 

 

Whimpering, Loki lowered himself to his knees, hands reaching out to hold on to Thor’s waist to keep his balance.   Swallowing thickly he allowed himself to look up hesitantly, staring at Thor through his lashes.  He hoped the man would change his mind.  That he wouldn’t subject him to this.  But, he also knew that he wouldn’t put up much of a fight even if Thor went through with it.  His mouth was already watering, his heart was already pounding in his chest, and, to his embarrassment, he was already getting hard.   He prayed that Thor wouldn’t notice it through the clinging material of his still-damp swim trunks.    

 

But instead, Thor looked down at him, eyes looking darker than usual, and pupils seeming to have taken over most of the blue.  Loki couldn’t help it as his eyes darted down, following the movement of Thor’s other hand as he reached down to adjust himself within his jeans.  And when Loki realized that the bulge in front of him was Thor’s thick cock, he couldn’t help but inhale sharply.  He had felt Thor’s hot skin against his before, but he had only been able to _imagine_ what Thor’s cock was really like.  Now he would actually see it.

 

Smile returning to his face, as if he was aware of some secret that Loki was not privy to, Thor reached out to run his thumb over Loki’s plump bottom lip, pulling down slightly to expose Loki’s bottom teeth. 

 

“You ever suck cock before?” Thor asked, voice low and sultry.

 

Loki closed his eyes, unable to maintain Thor’s intense gaze, and shook his head.  His cheeks burned with embarrassment.  He shouldn’t be _ashamed_ to tell Thor he hadn’t done something like this.  It was _normal_ not to have done something like this.  But, for some reason, Loki didn’t want to disappoint Thor, and he knew that not being good at this would leave Thor dissatisfied.

 

Letting go of his bottom lip, Thor sighed in a way that seemed like he was saying “it can’t be helped.”

 

“Well, practice makes perfect,” Thor said, chuckling to himself.  “Just remember, don’t use your teeth and don’t spit at the end.”

 

Loki’s eyes widened and he struggled again, trying to pull away from Thor’s grip.

 

“I’m not--! I’m not going to _swallow_ ,” he protested.

 

“We’ll see about that,” Thor said gruffly.

 

He then pulled on Loki’s hair again, pulling him forward so that Loki’s cheek was pressed against his crotch, flush with the warm bulge.  He struggled for a bit, but then Thor loosened his hold allowing Loki to sit back, glaring up at him with a flushed face and a petulant pout.

 

“Now get to work.  Show me how badly you want to keep me happy,” Thor said.

 

Trembling, Loki hesitantly brought his hands up to the prominent bulge, rubbing it tentatively through the coarse material of Thor’s jeans.  He was surprised, and somewhat encouraged, to hear Thor let out a soft moan.  With wide eyes, Loki continued to rub at the thick mass underneath his fingers, amazed by how he could feel Thor actually stiffening and growing bigger under his ministrations. It was exciting to know he had this effect on the older man, and he could feel his own cock throb between his thighs in response. 

 

“Don’t play around,” Thor warned him, tugging softly on Loki’s locks, but there was little actual heat behind his words.

 

Taking a deep breath, Loki reached up to slowly unbuckle Thor’s leather belt. He fumbled with the button to his jeans, and once it was undone, he tentatively pulled down the zipper.  He chanced a glance up at Thor, and when he saw how intensely he was staring down at him through his thick lashes, Loki had to look away.  Being watched by Thor made his entire body feel electrified and he had to squeeze his thighs together to stop himself from reaching down and touching himself. 

 

Licking his lips, Loki brought his hands up to the waistband of Thor’s jeans, pushing down slightly and watching as they fell down to Thor’s knees, revealing his strong, muscular thighs.  But Loki only had eyes for what he could now see even more clearly now that Thor was in nothing but his black boxer-briefs.  It was the outline of Thor’s notably impressive cock.  He could even see a little patch of moisture dampening the cloth near what he could only assume was the head.  Loki wanted to take his time; take everything in.  But Thor was apparently impatient as, with his other hand, he tugged down his briefs, cock jumping out and on full-display.  

 

The first thing Loki thought was, _Wow_ , as he inhaled sharply.  Thor’s cock was thick and long, bigger than he had even expected.  The heavy appendage was standing almost fully erect, leaning slightly to the left, with a fat, flushed pink head.  Up close, he could see the thick vein that ran alongside the underside of the rigid shaft.  And the thick base, nestled in a bed of dark blonde hair, looked bigger than Loki’s own wrist. 

 

“Kid, stop fucking around,” Thor said again, pulling Loki a bit closer, as he glanced around him.

 

And just like that, Loki remembered they were outside.  In broad daylight.  Where _anyone_ could walk up and see them.  They were lucky that the fence was five feet high.  While anyone who approached the pool would be able to see Thor standing next to the fence, no one would be able to see that his pants were down.  And they definitely would not be able to see Loki on his knees in front of him.  But that didn’t stop Loki’s face from flushing hotly and shame to start twisting his stomach into knots.  He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He couldn’t’ believe he _wanted_ to do this so badly that he had completely forgotten where he was and how inappropriate this was.    But he told himself that he was doing this because he had no choice, and that helped him push down some of his sense of disappointment with himself. 

 

Reaching up, he wrapped both hands around the thick cock, and began to stroke tentatively, marveling at how different, but at the same time similar, it felt to touching his own cock.  The skin was soft and smooth.  And Thor was so _hot_ and heavy in his hands.  He squeezed a little tighter as his fist ran over the shiny head and watched as a fat drop of clear fluid leaked out.  He had to hold back his own moan at seeing it.  Biting his lip, he looked up at Thor to make sure he was doing it right—that Thor liked it—and the heated look in Thor’s eyes was all the confirmation he needed.

 

“Come on, don’t just play with it.  Open your mouth,” Thor breathed as he brought his other hand up to Loki’s lip again. This time, however, he pushed in, forcing Loki to part his teeth.

 

Loki shuddered, and he couldn’t stop himself from closing his lips around Thor’s thumb and suckling softly.

 

“Good boy,” Thor said as he licked his lips.  “Now I want to see these pretty lips wrapped around my cock.”

 

He then pulled his thumb from Loki’s lips.  Loki watched on, lips parted and panting softly, as Thor grabbed his cock and guided it to Loki’s mouth.  Heart beating wildly, Loki closed his eyes as Thor pressed the head against his lips, and instead of fighting it, he parted his lips a little more and let him slip inside.   Immediately his mouth was flooded with the salty taste of Thor’s pre-come and he felt his mouth start to water.   It was only the head, but Loki felt how his lips were stretched and wondered what he looked like right now, on his knees with his first cock in his mouth.  He felt his body start to react as he imagined how it would feel to have all of Thor inside of his mouth. 

 

Feeling bolder, he shyly poked his tongue forward, letting it run over the spongy head and almost jumped when he heard the soft moan from Thor above him.  Loki didn’t know what he was doing, but he had watched enough porn to at least know what he should try to make Thor feel good.  And he liked hearing that he was already part of the way there. 

 

Thor let him suckle on the head for a few moments more.  Loki’s face was flushed with embarrassment as he listened to the wet sounds he was making, as he sloppily laved at the tip, the only sounds other than Thor’s heavy breathing and the birds chirping around them.  Then Thor began to rock forward a bit, pressing more of his length into Loki’s mouth.  And Loki couldn’t stop the moan as he felt his jaw being forced open and his lips stretching more to accommodate the girth. 

           

Thor’s hand moved from tangling in Loki’s hair, to cupping the back of his head.  It didn’t do anything to lessen the control he had over Loki, but for some reason, Loki liked the feeling of Thor touching him like this better.   And his resultant moan let Thor know it.

 

“See, I knew you wanted this,” Thor said, in an almost soothing tone, as he stroked the back of Loki’s head.  “Now, I’m gonna need you to open up a bit wider.”

 

Loki squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he felt Thor push deeper into his mouth.  It already felt like a lot and Loki knew that Thor was barely halfway inside.  Loki’s hands were still stroking what he couldn’t fit in his mouth.  As he felt the head bump into the back of his throat, he let out a whine of displeasure and tried to pull away.  But Thor’s hand was a solid grip at the back of his head, holding him in place.

 

“Shh, shh, relax,” Thor said as he rocked his hips forward again.  “You can take it.  Just relax.”

 

Loki tried to shake his head as he opened his eyes, blinking up at Thor.  But Thor seemed to be indifferent to his plight, as he stared down at Loki with a heated look of determination.  Thor’s hand dropped down to Loki’s jaw, stroking it briefly, before he squeezed, using his grip to keep Loki in place as he pushed forward again, this time with more force.

 

A muffled cry of panic escaped Loki’s lips around Thor’s cock as he felt it press into his throat.  It hurt and his jaw throbbed from being forced open.  He tried to struggle, to free himself from Thor’s grasp, but he was being held immobile.

 

“Relax your throat,” Thor said, continuing to rock forward in a steady rhythm. “Come on, let me in.”

 

Thor was panting above him, sounding like he was enjoying himself.  But Loki felt like he was being smothered; like he couldn’t enough air.  And hot tears began to prickle at the corner of his eyes as Thor continued to press against the tight closure of his throat.  And then with another steady push, Thor was in, and Loki felt himself begin to gag as he struggled to get air.  The tears began to spill as he pressed his nails into Thor’s hips, hoping he would pull out.

 

“Breathe through your nose, relax,” Thor cooed.  “You’re doing so good.  It feels so fucking good.”

 

But Loki was panicking.  He couldn’t breathe and he wasn’t all that confident that Thor would care if he died while sucking his cock.  With his vision blurred by his tears, he continued to protest around the obstruction in his throat, voice coming out in muffled groans, as he tried to pull away.  But Thor just moaned as Loki’s throat continued to convulse around him.      

 

“So good, so good,” Thor panted. 

 

Loki was convinced Thor would never relent, but after two more thrusts Thor appeared to take pity on him and eased up, pulling out of Loki’s throat but cock still heavy on his tongue.  But as soon as Loki could breathe again, Loki pulled away, Thor’s wet cock slipping from his mouth.  Turning his face away, he gulped down lungfuls of air. His jaw ached and his throat throbbed from the rough treatment, and he hadn’t even taken Thor’s whole cock in his mouth yet.  Loki had no idea how the pornstars did it, but this was no easy task.

 

“Come on,” Thor said, voice rough and wanting as he stroked his cock in front of Loki’s face.  “Try again.”

           

“Thor, I can’t,” Loki whined, trying to blink away his tears, and hating how scratchy his throat felt.

 

“You just did,” Thor said.  “You can do it.  You just gotta make me come.  The faster you do that, the faster it’ll be over.”

 

Loki tried to turn his face away again as Thor pressed his cock against his lips, but Thor turned him back, thumb pushing into his mouth and holding it open as he slipped his cock back inside.

 

“You’re not bad for a first-time cock-sucker, Loki,” he praised as he held firm to the back of Loki’s head, keeping him in place.  “But you can definitely get better.”

 

Loki let out a sound of displeasure at Thor’s criticism, but decided to do what Thor had asked.  The faster he made him come, the sooner he could finish.  So he hollowed out his mouth and began bobbing his head and sucking with earnest, hoping this would be enough and that Thor wouldn’t want to use his throat again.  Thor seemed to like it as he moaned a bit louder and began rocking his hips.  The force of his thrusts increased, causing Loki to whimper but it was still better than having him in his throat, so he forced himself to keep quiet.  But soon, Loki could no longer keep up, so he let Thor move his head as he wanted, pistoning his hips and fucking his mouth. 

 

After only a few minutes, Thor was pushing in deep again, his thick cock pressing insistently even through Loki’s muffled sounds of displeasure.  And soon, he was pressing through, opening up his throat again, and Loki had no choice but to swallow around his thickness.  A long, loud moan escaped Thor’s lips, followed by a hissed _yes_.   Loki’s vision became watery as tears sprang to his eyes again, and all he could do was hold on to Thor’s hips. 

 

Thor pushed and pushed, going much slower, but also going deeper.  He grunted his pleasure, seeming to love the pressure and friction.  Loki’s throat was burning and he was getting light headed, and even though Thor seemed to be having a good time, Loki wasn’t quite sure how much more he could take.  And then suddenly, his nose was pressing into the coarse hair at the base of Thor’s cock. He let out a startled groan, shocked and terrified that somehow he had been able to take it all.   But that just seemed to make Thor even more excited. 

 

“Shit, so good,” Thor breathed, as he continued to thrust in, slow and deep.  “Almost there.  Almost there.” 

           

Thor rocked forward a few times, thrusting into his throat but never pulling out all the way.  Loki groaned and scratched at him, feeling like he really might vomit.  But then, with two more hard thrusts, he heard Thor let out a hard grunt and he felt his cock pulsing in his throat.  Thor pulled back and Loki’s mouth was flooded with Thor’s come as his hips jerked and he continued to thrust shallowly into his mouth. 

           

Even spent and panting heavily, Thor held on to Loki’s jaw when he tried to pull away, cock still in his mouth, as he made sure Loki didn’t move.  So, reluctantly, Loki swallowed down, feeling the thick, salty fluid coating his mouth and tongue.

 

Satisfied, Thor pulled back and grinned down at him as he stuffed himself back into his underwear.  But Loki wasn’t smiling.  He was mortified.  And pissed. 

 

“I can’t believe you did that,” he almost shouted as he shakily pushed himself to his feet and wiped angrily at the tears on his face.  “That was horrible.”

 

“You seemed like you liked it well enough,” Thor said as he glanced down to the front of Loki’s swim-shorts, where Loki’s erection was clearly tenting the front. 

 

Loki glared at him, eyes watery and seeming like he was on the verge of crying again.  But he didn’t know if it was because he was just that angry, or if it was because he was frustrated with himself for, again, proving Thor right. 

 

So, instead of answering, he grabbed the forgotten towel off of the pool deck and pushed his way around Thor, unlocking the gate and rushing out.  Thor watched him hurriedly make his way across the lawn, wiping the tears from his cheeks and making sure to keep the towel held securely over his crotch.   

* * *

A few minutes later, when Thor walked around the side of the house and back into the yard, he noticed that Hogun was looking at him curiously, an unreadable look clouding his face.

 

Thor raised an eyebrow at him, as if challenging him to say something.  Instead, Hogun just shook his head, shrugging his shoulders and returning back to his work.   

 

Nodding to himself, Thor glanced up at the house, eyes going straight to Loki’s second-floor window.  Loki was fun.  He was petulant, and snotty, and thought he was above everything, but ultimately his body couldn’t lie. No matter what the boy said, he liked what Thor did to him and Thor knew it.  He just had to get Loki to realize that.

 

Thor was looking forward to more fun. 

* * *

 

A/N: There’s chapter 2.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Hahha.  Poor confused Loki!  But, anyway, please let me know if you’re enjoying it!  I'm on winter break and finding it hard to motivate myself to write, but if I don't write now who KNOWS when I'll have the time D:.  So please help to give me a (kind) kick in the pants! hahaha

xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:  I don’t know why my chapters end up being so long D:. Haha.  But, I guess no one’s really complaining?? O_O  So, here, have some plot with your porn!  I think some of you will be happy with this chapter—Loki finally gets some “service," and Thor’s a _wee_ bit nicer too :3.    

This whole fic is unbetaed, btw, so I apologize for any previous (and current) mistakes!

Find me at laydee-liesmith.tumblr.com/

Happy reading! 

* * *

All good things come to those who wait, and Thor… well Thor had had a very good weekend.  Two days after having had Loki suck him off (which had been good enough to make his toes actually curl, but he would never let _Loki_ know that), Thor had found himself in his father’s underground club playing host.  It was the Borson group’s annual casino night, an event to which all the big bosses in a 500 mile radius would come out.  Thousands of dollars would be lost on the tables, not to mention the thousands that went to good liquor and even better “company.” 

 

When Thor had walked in, fashionably late as always, his eyes had scanned the crowd looking for opportunities.  On the surface, the night was meant to be for entertainment, but everyone knew what the real deal was— _business_.  Major deals usually went down at this event.  Crime syndicates from states away who would never have an opportunity to cross paths would strike up agreements, talk about new endeavors, and facilitate trades.  And while it was a good time for collaborative work, no one was fool enough to think that _everyone_ would get along, and there was always, without fail, at least one knife fight and a few firearms being brandished before the night was over.  Two years ago, Thor himself had been carted off to the hospital with a cheek fracture.    

 

But Thor had outgrown that.  And when he walked into this year’s casino night, his eyes fell on a pretty young redhead.  He had heard whispers about her, but had never met her in person.  And when he sidled up to her at the bar, offering to buy her a drink, she had ordered for _him_ instead, and they had taken three shots, each, of authentic Russian vodka—the good stuff—before she had even conceded to give him her name.  Natasha Romanova.  But he already knew that.  She was the daughter of a well-established Russian mob boss. Her father had been former KGB, and his business practices reflected that the man really knew how to work in secret.  Very few people had ever met him, but everyone always knew the Romanova signature on a job or a transaction. 

 

Natasha was also very rarely seen in public, so Thor had been surprised to have had the opportunity to catch her “alone.”  Even though Natasha was seated at the bar, Thor had already clocked four guards, armed by the way they were walking with their weight shifted to one side or the other, all within 15 feet of her.  Thor wasn’t stupid enough to try anything—even being the son of Odin Borson—and her bodyguards seemed to be aware of that as he gave them an acknowledging nod. 

 

Hearing that a Romanova was going to be in attendance—such a rare occurrence—Thor had come with a plan.  He didn’t know much about her, other than that she was a _woman_ , and if Thor knew how to do anything it was seduce women.  Thor had no problem “taking one for the team,” if it meant he could seal a deal.  And when he sat next to her, watching her flip her fiery red hair over a shoulder as she stared at him with amused eyes, he found that it wouldn’t really feel like chore, even if his heart wouldn’t really be in to it.  Natasha was easy on the eyes, that was for sure.  She was around Thor’s age, with a slight Russian accent that made her sultry voice sound even sexier.  But all Thor found himself wanting as he looked at her full, red-painted mouth, was silky dark locks, big green eyes and pouting pink lips. 

 

But, to Thor’s surprise—and almost relief—Natasha didn’t seem all that interested in him either.  She seemed to know how to carry herself around men and where Thor thought she’d turn to putty in his presence once he leaned close and whispered in her ear (pretending like she wouldn’t be able to hear him over the loud din in the club unless he got _that_ close), instead she arched an eyebrow at him and smirked as she asked him if he could handle another shot. 

 

Finding that the way to Natasha’s heart was to treat her more like one of “the boys” than it was to try to get her into his bed, Thor’s night had taken a very pleasant turn.  After knocking back two more shots of liquid fire, Natasha and he had proceeded to make a killing at the craps and poker tables, to the chagrin of many of the older bosses.  Their night had even included a bar brawl, that featured Natasha breaking a bottle and brandishing it at the handsy youngest son of the infamous Colleti family, before her guards had stepped in and put an end to the tussle.  Thor had looked at her like she was insane, hand already on the butt of the gun concealed in his jacket to help fight their way out if he needed to, and Natasha had just laughed her head off.  He had grinned back at her, wondering if he should introduce her to his friend Sif.  He had never seen a woman more ready to fight than her, and he could already see them being a formidable duo if they ever paired up.    

 

And when the night was over, Thor almost unable to see because of how drunk he was, he had received a (very coherent, damn her) text from Natasha saying that her father would like to meet him the next day to talk about a possible partnership with the Borson group.  Apparently, Natasha had had a good time with him and “vouched” for him with her father.  No one from the Borson group had ever been able to set up a meeting with Nikolai Romanova; not even _Odin_ himself.  And Odin, having heard of the potential meeting the next morning, had given Thor a firm pat on the back and told him he would let Thor handle it.  By himself.  There had been an underlying understanding that Thor was not to fuck it up, but Thor had confidence in himself that he would be able to pull it off.  And after a short, albeit tense, meeting with Nikolai Romanova, Thor had become the middle man between the Romanova group and the Borsons.  He had accomplished something even his father had not, and the knowledge of that was elating. 

 

In celebration, Thor had spent another night getting shit-faced, this time with the Warriors Three and Sif (who happily worked on the “finance” part of things for his family’s company by day, and was a long-range rifle-woman if the need ever arose for it, by night).  Things were changing now, and they all knew it.  It was like Thor was finally being legitimized in the eyes of his father.  Having been trusted with such an important responsibility by Odin made Thor feel less stressed out.  And a less-stressed Thor meant less tension for his friends, because when Thor was in a bad mood he was impossible to deal with. 

 

And Monday morning found him back at work, on _time_ even, and taking point on most of the projects for that day.   He watched through his shades as Loki came out early that morning, followed by Laufey, as the two went for a morning swim.  It was another extremely hot day, and by the time it had reached 10 am, it was nearing 90 degrees.  So Thor had watched on, unsurprised, as, about an hour later, Loki trudged back into the house, skin looking pink. 

 

It wasn’t lost on Thor that Loki had come and gone and hadn’t even spared him a glance.  The little brat was so _rude_ , but Thor couldn’t deny that he found something somewhat endearing about his petulance.  Or, maybe it was because Thor was in such a good mood.  In any case, he let his eyes follow Loki’s thin form as the boy hurried into the house, licking his lips as he watched as the damp trunks, this time red, clung to his plump bottom.       

 

“Earth to Thor!” Fandral said as he walked into Thor’s line of sight.

 

Thor frowned as he looked up at him, pausing in the process of mixing cement. 

 

“Uh… what were you looking at?” Fandral asked, eyebrow arched and seeming a bit suspicious as he looked back at the direction Thor was looking, only to see the back door swinging shut.

 

“What do you want?” Thor asked instead.

 

“I said—three _times_ , in fact—that we need to make a run down to the hardware store.  We ran out of paving stones and Laufey said he wants the path to lead all the way around the back of the house,” Fandral said, arms on his hips and frowning slightly. 

 

Thor sighed as he stopped what he was doing and stretched his arms over his head.

 

“I guess I’ll be the one doing that, huh?” he asked as he glanced at his curious friend.

 

“Yeah…” Fandral said, as he glanced behind himself again, seeming distracted.  “You okay today?  I’ve never seen you… zone out like that before…”

 

Thor frowned.  He didn’t like all these questions.  But he forced himself to smile because he didn’t need to give Fandral a reason to ask _more_ questions.

 

“We got wrecked last night, man,” Thor said as he clapped him on the shoulder, hard enough for Fandral to stumble a bit.  “It wasn’t bright doing that on a Sunday night when we knew we had to be on site the next day.  I’m still trying to recover, and I would’ve preferred to be just sleeping this off right now.  So sorry if I’m a little slow on the uptake.”

 

Fandral laughed as he nodded in commiseration.

 

“Shit, you’re telling me.  What was with that Romanova girl sending over a _case_ of vodka?” Fandral said as he grimaced.

 

“What was with you two thinking you had to try and _finish_ all of it?” Hogun asked flatly as he walked by them, pushing a wheelbarrow.

 

“Hey! Come on now. If I remember correctly, you helped us with at least two of those bottles,” Fandral whined as he turned and started following Hogun, who seemed very uninterested in listening to him. 

 

Thor looked after them with an unreadable expression, glad that Fandral had been sufficiently distracted.  He had been caught practically _ogling_ Loki, and he was lucky that his story had been believable enough to get his overly perceptive friend off his back.  But he still didn’t like that he had let his guard down enough to have been put in that situation in the first place. 

 

Thor knew he was playing a risky game here, pursuing Loki without his friends, or Lok’s _father_ , being any the wiser.  But that was the fun of it.  He liked the thrill of cornering Loki, knowing that they could be caught at any moment and seeing the panic in Loki’s eyes mixed with the boy’s unmistakable _want_.  He liked seeing that war raging in Loki’s eyes as the boy struggled against him but ultimately gave in.  And Thor couldn’t lie; the thrill of possibly being caught excited him as well. 

 

But Thor knew that, even if he was caught, there probably wouldn’t be that many repercussions.  He was careful to stay off of Laufey’s radar; he wasn’t risky enough at the moment to do it right under the man’s _nose._ Thor could see how much Laufey cared about his son, and whether Laufey knew the Borsons were “connected” or not, Thor was sure the man would fight tooth and nail if he ever figured out what Thor was doing to his son.  Laufey would _lose_ —Thor was almost sure of that—but the ensuing “complications” that would arise from Laufey going to the police, or worse, _Odin,_ was more of a headache than Thor wanted to deal with.  So Thor had made sure to at least show some restraint in that sense.  And Laufey was out of the house so often recently that he was almost making it too easy on Thor. 

 

The only ones really left to worry about were his “Warriors Three.”  And that wasn’t to say that they would, or _could_ , stop Thor from doing anything he wanted.  But he was also sure they wouldn’t approve of what was going on between him and Loki.  He and his boys had robbed, cheated, tortured, and even murdered together all in the name of “Borson.”  But they didn’t necessarily do any of that for “fun;” they did it out of necessity and only to people they thought _deserved_ it.  Thor was the most likely out of them to go “berserk” and use his fists on someone until he had to be dragged away from the broken body to preserve the unlucky fool’s life.  They lived in a crooked world, but they prided themselves on being _fair_ at least.  So, Thor could already imagine the lecture he would get from someone like Volstagg who had an especial soft spot for kids and had mentioned, on more than one occasion, how he was concerned for Loki and thought the boy needed to eat more.  Thor just didn’t have time for that kind of shit.  He wanted Loki, and he wasn’t going to make any excuses to anyone about _why_. 

 

Wiping his bandana over the drops of sweat that had beaded on his forehead while he stood there under the blazing sun, Thor glanced once more back at the house.  And then, pushing Loki from his mind, he pulled off his gloves and tossed them on the ground.  Telling himself he need to push Loki out of his mind and focus on work for now, he began trudging over to the van.  He knew he would have another opportunity to play with Loki again later, even if it was a couple of days from now.  All good things to those who wait, indeed. 

* * *

Loki sighed as he threw himself unceremoniously down on the couch.  The sun was brutal that day and he had been forced to go back inside once his dad had started to get concerned that Loki’s attempt to get a tan would just result in a painful sunburn.  Loki glanced at his shoulder, which looked a little pink but wasn’t painful to the touch.  He rolled his eyes as he decided his father had probably been right to send him in when he did.  In any case, Loki didn’t do well in the heat and probably wouldn’t have lasted outside for very much longer any way. 

 

Even though they had air conditioning, it seemed to be just barely working, so Loki had traded in his usual t-shirt and tight jeans combo in exchange for a pair of loose fitting basketball shorts and a baggy tank top; anything to keep his skin cool.  He had let his hair air dry after his shower because the thought of blow drying it with the house already so hot made him cringe.  But, now, as he ran his hand through the tangled wavy strands he knew he would probably regret that decision later.  

 

But Loki couldn’t worry about that.  He had more _pressing_ things on his mind.  Namely, the big blonde in his backyard whose eyes had practically bored into Loki as he had walked across the yard, pointedly ignoring him.  Loki had a lot of reasons to be mad at Thor.  Most importantly, he had had a sore throat for days after Thor had forced him to suck his cock.  On Friday, when Thor had cornered him by the pool, Loki’s throat had felt sore but he hadn’t known how bad it would feel that night, hours later. 

 

It was hard to swallow and he sounded like he had a frog in his throat whenever he tried to talk.  His father had been concerned and Loki had had to tell him, blushing the whole time, not to worry and that he thought he was just coming down with a summer cold.  Laufey had even brought him a cup of tea that night before bed, and Loki had guiltily accepted it.  His throat was a bit better now, two days later, but Loki had hated how the scratchy sensation in his throat reminded him of Thor every time he swallowed.  That brute of a man had made it so that Loki hadn’t been able to think of anything _but_ him for the whole weekend. 

 

Loki had thought, after suffering through those reminders all weekend that he would be prepared to face Thor today, but he had realized that just _looking_ at Thor brought even more vivid memories.  He would be suddenly assaulted with reminders of the taste, feel and smell of him and his face would flush hotly, like he had some guilty secret.  He just knew Thor would know exactly what he was thinking about if he looked at him. So he avoided looking at Thor.  But Thor did not have the decency to return the favor.  Loki could feel Thor’s eyes practically undressing him, and he wondered how no one else seemed to know what was going on. 

 

It was like some secret that only he and Thor knew.  And while Loki still felt his stomach twist into nervous knots whenever he saw Thor, he couldn’t deny that the quickening of his pulse was also related to his own excitement.  He was constantly on edge because he never knew when the next time Thor would corner him would be, and the anticipation in itself was nerve-wracking.

 

Sighing, Loki decided he had spent too much time on trying to figure out Thor and what the older man’s intentions toward him really were.  At least, for now, he had picked up on the fact that Thor wouldn’t do anything with his father around.  Loki still couldn’t understand how the man felt bold enough to do it with his _friends_ around, and suddenly wondered if they were all “in” on it, and actually knew what Thor was doing with him whenever he snuck away from them.  Frowning, Loki found that hard to believe. 

 

For the most part, the three seemed disinterested in him, but Loki couldn’t see them actively _helping_ Thor do something like this.  Even when he had ran from the pool the other day, face flaming with shame and tears still wet on his cheeks, he had seen the quieter one, Hogun, stop and look up from his work.  Loki had looked away quickly, embarrassed and not knowing what he looked like.  He had, for a moment, wondered if he had traces of Thor’s come on his face, or if Hogun would be able to tell why he was holding the towel so awkwardly over his front.  But before he had turned away fully, he had seen Hogun look at him with concern, as if he was going to ask him a question.  Instead, Loki just picked up his pace and was running inside before the man had made up his mind.     

 

But, thinking of those friends of his, and Thor’s bragging about being “connected,” Loki remembered that Thor _had_ said to “look him up.”  In all the commotion from before, Loki had forgotten about doing it.  But, now… well, now Loki wanted to call him on his bluff. 

 

With a huff, Loki pulled his laptop on to his lap and quickly opened it.  He immediately typed in the name “Borson” and his brows furrowed when the results came back.  Scrolling through the local news articles, Loki saw a good amount of positive press coverage—the Borson family, on top of being in the contracting business for over 30 years, also seemed to be philanthropic and donated to a few charities around town.  But he also saw a number of concerning articles, most of them dealing with _Thor_. 

 

Clicking on one, his breath hitched as he saw a picture of Thor in handcuffs being placed into the back of a police cruiser.  Looking at the picture, Thor looked a few years younger, but his eyes were blazing and fierce.  His muscles bulged under the t-shirt he was wearing, as if he was struggling with the cuffs.  And Loki could see that the two officers that were escorting him seemed anxious, as if even they weren’t quite sure they’d be able to control him.  Thor looked like an _animal_. 

 

Quickly scanning the article, Loki discovered that, when he was 19, Thor had been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the murder of three high-level gangsters who were part of the “McMurphy group.” Following links to other articles that covered the case, Loki found that Thor had been released from holding two days after his arrest (after his father had posted a $50,000 bail) and had been cleared, all charges being dropped, just a week after that when a solid “alibi” mysteriously turned up. 

 

In one of the pictures, Loki could see Thor walking out of the courthouse, a triumphant smile on his face.  Behind him, looking far more serious and dangerous than Loki had ever seen them, he could see Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral flanking Thor (apparently they had been named as possible accomplices).  There was also a beautiful, but serious-looking, dark-haired woman in an impeccably-tailored suit walking in front of Thor.  She looked as if she would take a bullet for him if she had to.  A little off to the side, but walking in front of all the rest was an austere-looking older man in an impressive black trench coat.   He was shorter and stockier than Thor, but Loki could tell that the man, even at his age, probably concealed respectable muscle under that coat.  He looked even more intimidating than Thor because of the wizened appearance of his face; as if he had been to hell and back, and lived to tell about it.  The black eyepatch didn’t help things either.  Loki knew, almost instinctively, without having to look at the caption of the picture, that that was Thor’s father.  He shivered. 

 

Eyes dropping down further, Loki saw that there was a note at the end of the article saying that the chief of police had personally apologized to the Borson family following the dropping of the charges, saying that he was embarrassed that such a mistake had occurred and that he would make sure his detectives did better investigatory work before dragging a family that was such an exemplary pillar of the community through the mud. 

 

Loki’s eyes widened as he continued clicking through articles.  There were a few more articles covering Thor’s exploits from when he was 18 up until about a year and a half ago.  They showed Thor being accused of an offense—charges ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering, with a slew of brutal assaults mixed in—and then being cleared by either an alibi or someone else conveniently coming forward and confessing to the crime.  But there were also some articles that just seemed to chronicle the folly of youth.  Loki couldn’t help but roll his eyes at one from when Thor was 18 that showed a totaled Audi with the title “Borson Heir Involved in Likely DUI.”  Although he let out a huff of indignation, when the follow-up article stated that Thor’s breathalyzer had tested negative and that he had crashed because of a “defect” in the car.  _Yeah right,_ Loki thought to himself. 

 

However, there were also some articles that seemed like someone had tried to set Thor up—a few notable instances were when the cops had found planted drugs in his gym bag or an unregistered gun in his car after a “tip”—and the Borson family’s legal representative, someone named “Heimdall,” had argued as such.  But even in those circumstances, it was always the same thing; Thor ultimately got off.   His curiosity getting the best of him, Loki had clicked on more related articles and had shuddered to see coverage of “mysterious” deaths of noted higher ups in the local crime scene only a few weeks after Thor’s arrests in those cases.  One had “drowned” in his own bathtub; the other had been involved in a hunting “accident.”     

 

Sitting back in awe, looking at all the tabbed articles that were sitting in his browser, Loki bit his lip in consternation as he considered the information he had just learned.  Any idiot could see that someone who had gotten into _that_ much trouble over the years wasn’t an innocent lamb.  No everyday contractor was being dragged into an interrogation to be asked about the murder of powerful movers and shakers in the world of organized crime.  But, every article Loki had read had all came to the same conclusion; Thor was innocent because they had no evidence that could prove him guilty.  So, Loki didn’t know what to think of that.  Was Thor the unluckiest guy in the world, or had he really been involved in all those things he had been accused of?

 

Loki’s father was a lawyer, and while he did tax, and not criminal, Laufey would probably tell Loki that as long as no conviction was obtained, Thor was _innocent_.  At least innocent in the way the law defined it.  But, Loki didn’t know if he could look at it that way.  He tried to imagine Thor—those powerful fists, those piercing blue eyes—actually holding a gun to someone’s head.  He shuddered.  But Loki wasn’t fully sure it was a shudder of fear. 

 

The slamming of the screen door off the kitchen startled Loki and he jumped, dragged out of his disturbing thoughts, and quickly closed out of the web browser.  He listened as he could hear his father’s voice, rising in volume as the man walked briskly into the living room.  Seeing Loki staring at him, perplexed, Laufey gave him a tight smile, but the smile quickly faded as it was obvious that he hadn’t liked whatever he had just heard on the phone.

 

“What do you mean she won’t sign??” Laufey almost shouted.  “The agreement was set, Bill.  No! I don’t give a rat’s ass! I worked on that for almost two whole days.  Well, you tell her she better get down to the office and make a better offer or we’ll sue.  _Yes_ , sue!”

 

Loki cringed as he listened to his father’s booming voice.  Whoever was on the end of his wrath was probably quaking in his boots.  Laufey paced out of the living room and Loki could hear his voice echoing throughout the rest of the first floor as it appeared Laufey was taking his conversation into the dining room, and then into the study. 

 

Shaking his head, Loki went back to his computer, reopening the browser and trying to decide whether his newly obtained “knowledge” about Thor changed things or not.  It was scary to think that Thor would actually use his connections to do something bad to Loki or his family.  But everyone in the articles who had been “allegedly” hurt by Thor, or his friends, had all been related to organized crime in some way.  There really didn’t seem to be any complaints against the Borson family by everyday civilians.  Loki let that assuage a bit of his concern by telling himself that Thor was just bluffing.  At least he _hoped_. 

 

And then Loki also had to deal with the fact that thinking Thor really did have that kind of power—that he moved in the underworld of organized crime and was the son of some big-time crime boss—kind of excited him.  It made Thor even more mysterious and the dangerousness, that Loki could practically _feel_ pulsing around the man, all the more real.      

           

“What’re you doing?” came Laufey’s inquisitive voice, breaking in to Loki’s musings.

 

Loki jumped again, and reflexively slammed his laptop shut.  He cringed almost immediately after doing it, knowing that _that_ probably looked especially suspicious.

 

“Loki…” Laufey said, raising an eyebrow and looking uncomfortable.

 

Loki knew exactly what his father thought he had been doing. 

           

“I’m not--! It’s not… Ugh, I wasn’t doing anything _weird_ , dad.  You just startled me.  What’s up?” Loki asked, hoping his face wasn’t flushing as much as he felt it was.

 

Laufey gave him another unsure look, but it seemed that he would be more comfortable going with Loki’s story than asking any more questions, so he shrugged. 

 

“Um… So, I’ve got to go back into work again.  Sorry about that, kiddo,” Laufey said as he sighed.

 

Loki looked up at his dad, a bit strangely.  Laufey hadn’t called him “kiddo” in probably a good 5 years.  But, Laufey also looked like he was feeling guilty, and Loki sighed.

 

“It’s totally fine, dad.  Don’t worry about it.  Work is work, and I understand if you need to be there,” Loki said, sincerely.

 

Laufey smiled at him.

 

“I know,” he said reluctantly.  “But, I was at the office all weekend and I told you I’d at least be home today…”

 

Loki shrugged, wanting his father not to feel so bad.  It was true; Laufey had been gone for the better part of the weekend and Loki had eaten dinner alone both nights.  But Loki wasn’t a brat.  He knew that his father was trying really hard to get them established in this new life he had made for them and while sometimes it was a little lonely, Loki definitely didn’t resent him for it.

 

“Really, I understand,” Loki said again.  “Besides, it sounds like whoever this woman is who reneged on this deal with you really kind of needs to get her ass handed to her.”

 

Laufey laughed and shook his head ruefully. 

 

“So, you heard all that huh?” Laufey asked.

 

“Kinda hard to miss you screaming on the phone, dad,” Loki said as he playfully rolled his eyes.

 

Laufey smiled at him and then patted him on the head.  Not appreciating the gesture which made him feel like a little kid again, Loki gave him a petulant look that only caused Laufey to smile wider.

 

“Ok, I’m going to run over and I’ll try not to be too late coming back, alright?” he asked.

 

“Sure thing, dad,” Loki said as he watched his father pick up his keys and make his way out of the living room. 

* * *

When Thor returned from the hardware store, and pulled the van into the spot closest to the backyard fence, he could see Laufey walking towards his car.  The older man waved at him and Thor waved back, rolling down his window.  Laufey changed directions and jogged over to Thor’s side.

 

“Glad to catch you, Thor,” Laufey said as Thor cut off the engine.

 

“I let the other boys know I needed to run to the office for a few hours and they told me you were out getting more paving stones for the changes I made,” he continued.

 

Thor nodded as he smiled tightly, opening the car door as Laufey stepped back.  He wasn’t necessarily happy that Laufey kept making all these changes.  Sure, it was extra money for his father’s company but it wasn’t really like the construction company was the bulk of Odin’s income.  And the more Laufey kept on adding to the project, the more it seemed that Thor would be spending his entire summer working on this one house.  The only _perk_ to this project was the fiery little brunette housed inside.

 

Laufey was apparently still talking, though, and Thor forced himself to pay better attention.  Had Laufey said something about going to _work_?

 

“So things are busy again at work?” Thor asked, feigning interest.

 

Laufey nodded tightly.

 

“Yup.  I don’t know if you have the same experience in your line of work, but, litigation,  _Jesus_.  It’s like these people are out here to rip each other's throats out.  It never ends.” 

 

Thor couldn’t help a small chuckle at that.

 

“Hmm, you’d be surprised.  It gets pretty cutthroat in our line of work too,” he said, thinking of the times situations had gotten _literally_ cutthroat.

 

Laufey smiled back.

 

“Well, I’m glad we could commiserate over it then,” he said as he patted Thor on the shoulder.

 

“In any case, can you boys hold down the fort?  I probably won’t be back before the end of the day, so, as always, just let Loki know when you’re heading out for the day, alright?  And don’t worry about bothering him. Lately that boy seems to be becoming a part of the couch,” Laufey said as his brows furrowed a bit. 

 

“No problem,” Thor said, grinning at the mention of Loki.

 

“Great.  Talk soon,” Laufey said, already distracted by a call coming in on his mobile.

 

Thor disinterestedly watched the man walk away for a bit, thoughts already straying to how lucky he was today.  He was having a good day and the only thing he had been disappointed about was that he wouldn’t get a chance to “share” his good mood with Loki.  But, now, with Laufey gone for the day, it seemed he’d have a chance after all. 

 

Grinning he turned and strolled into the back yard, seeing his men hard at work.

 

“You lot unload the van,” Thor called to them, not even stopping on his way towards the backdoor.

 

“What?  Why?” Fandral said as he looked up from the paving he, Volstagg and Hogun were working on. 

 

Thor frowned as he came to a halt, halfway between them and halfway between getting to Loki, as he whipped off his shades.

 

“Because I just spent two hours running around to four different stores to get this stuff because you jackasses ordered some random custom bricks that no one in this damn town seems to have,” Thor said as he glared at them.  “And then I had to load it all in the van by myself.  So excuse me if I think I’m allowed to pop in the house for a few minutes and take a piss while you unload the truck.”

 

Fandral looked appropriately chastened and the other two grumbled in agreement, seeming to find Thor’s reasoning pretty solid.

 

“Any more complaining??” Thor asked, forcing a hard edge into his tone.  In reality, there wasn’t very much that could ruin his mood at that minute.

 

“Nope,” Volstagg said, waving Thor away.  

 

Thor nodded, satisfied, and then walked away from them, letting himself in to the house.

* * *

Loki had gone upstairs to get another DVD and to raid his personal candy stash (Laufey had a thing about candy and what it could do to his teeth so Loki tended to hide most of what he consumed away from his father’s eyes).  When he walked into the living room, munching on a handful of Skittles, he stopped in mid-chew as he saw who was sitting on the couch waiting for him.  Heart stuttering in his chest, Loki gasped when he saw Thor. 

 

The older man was sitting there, arms crossed over his chest and long legs propped up on the coffee table.  Thor was smiling at him, probably the nicest expression Loki had ever seen him give him and _still_ his eyes looked like they were devouring him.  He watched Thor’s eyes drag up and down his body and Loki shuddered, suddenly feeling underdressed in his shorts and tank. 

 

“Come here,” Thor said as he patted the seat next to him.

 

Loki frowned and backed up a step, looking like he was trying to map out his escape plan.

 

“Are you kidding me?  No way,” he said flatly, sneering at Thor. 

 

Thor laughed.

 

“What?  Don’t look at me like that.  I have something good for you.  I promise,” Thor said as he gave him a sultry look.

 

Loki flushed, unable to deny to himself that he was at least _curious_ about what Thor meant.  Thor was being a lot nicer than usual… even _playful._ And there was something somewhat enticing about the mischievous look in Thor’s eyes.  But Loki also had a good sense of self-preservation.  So he shook his head.

 

“Why do I find that hard to believe?” he asked sarcastically.

 

Thor laughed again.

 

“No, trust me.  I’ll make you feel good, Loki,” he said, voice dropping to a purr.   

 

Loki looked at him uncertainly.  Swallowing, he still felt the irritation in his throat.  He knew he’d probably be a fool to listen to anything Thor had said.  Eyes traveling down to the man’s large hands, he knew that, more than anything, those hands were prone to hurting him.  But the promise of something _good_ … well, Loki thought he was owed something good by this point.

 

So, hesitantly, he stepped forward.

 

“I… Don’t try anything like what you did last time,” Loki warned, stopping just out of Thor’s reach.  “I’ll scream. I swear.”

 

Thor’s eyes darkened as Loki mentioned “last time,” and Loki couldn’t suppress his own shiver. 

 

“If you scream this time it’ll be from pleasure, baby,” Thor said with a smirk.  “You might be begging me to stuff your mouth with something just to keep you quiet.”

 

Loki flushed, feeling his stomach clench pleasantly at the thought of Thor’s promise, and stepped forward a few steps more.  And then Thor was reaching out, grabbing Loki by the waist and pulling him forward.  Loki stumbled as he let Thor pull him and found himself maneuvered in to Thor’s lap, straddling his waist.  Blushing, he brought his hands up to Thor’s shoulders, pushing away until he had the older man at arm’s length, intent on keeping his distance, even in this close proximity.

 

Thor was very much pleased with the way things were turning out.  He had Loki’s warm soft body in his lap and the boy wasn’t putting up all that much of a fight.  He could feel Loki trembling, fidgeting and obviously nervous. His breathing came out in little pants and his big green eyes flitted around, seeming to want to look at Thor, but not, at the same time. 

 

Thor didn’t have that problem.  He looked his fill.  Up close, Loki was so pretty.  His eyes traced over those fine, dark eyebrows, high cheekbones, and thin, delicately pointed nose.  Loki’s eyes were a startling shade of green, framed by thick dark lashes that Thor imagined would look more beautiful when dampened by fat tears.  Thor even found himself staring at Loki’s parted pink lips, imagining sliding his cock between them again and feeling himself throb in response.  It was nice to have the solid weight of Loki sitting on top him, the boy’s knees anchored around his waist. 

 

Thor squeezed Loki’s hips, liking the feeling of the boy’s narrow bones beneath his hand and was rewarded with a soft gasp.  His hold was firm, but not tight enough to hurt.  It was enough to let Loki know he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.   He pushed the hem of Loki’s baggy shirt up so he could feel the actual flesh of his hip bones and stroked at the skin there, causing Loki to sigh in pleasure.  Thor grinned.  The kid was like putty in his hands.  Loki even shifted forward a bit, spreading his knees wider to sit closer to Thor and unconsciously pushing his chest forward.  From where Thor was sitting, he could see right down the front of Loki’s top, the neckline low and loose enough to give Thor an eyeful, and he groaned as he could see that Loki’s pink nipples were already pebbling and standing at attention under the material.

 

With hungry eyes, Thor looked back up at Loki and saw that the boy was looking back at him, with eyes half lidded and lips slightly parted.  And when Loki saw that he had been caught looking, his eyes shifted again, face flushing.  Thor continued to stroke at his hips, liking the soft sounds Loki was making.  And while it was clear that Loki was unable to hold Thor’s intense gaze for long, Thor noticed that Loki’s eyes had dropped down and lingered on his lips. And then it dawned on Thor what the boy wanted.  Amused, he licked his lips and watched as Loki flushed, eyes darting away from Thor’s wet lips up to his eyes, and then away again, when he noticed Thor looking at him intently.

 

“Kiss me,” Thor ordered, as he shifted one of his hands to stroke at the bare skin of Loki’s thigh.

 

Loki jumped at the touch, his eyes darting up and looking at Thor with surprise at his request. Thor could see the pink flushing his cheeks.  The boy was so coy.   Thor almost had to hold back a smile at the thought that the same boy who he had caught stroking himself to kinky porn blushed when asked for a kiss.  

 

“Come on now,” Thor said as he stroked at Loki’s thigh again. 

 

And then, after a moment of hesitation, Loki leaned forward, eyes fluttering closed, and pressed his lips to Thor’s.  After the briefest of touches, with just a little bit of pressure, Loki was pulling back, averting his eyes shyly.  Thor was surprised.  While Loki’s kiss wasn’t a tiny peck, it was still just a quick, firm touching of lips.  The boy had had his cock in his mouth, and Loki thought he could get away with an innocent little kiss?

 

“That’s not a kiss,” Thor said, before Loki could pull too far away. 

 

And then Thor was grabbing him, one hand firmly gripping the back of his head, the other squeezing at the fleshy meat of his inner thigh, as he pulled Loki’s face to his.  His lips caught the boy’s, Loki’s mouth partly open in a small gasp.  And Thor kissed him, showing him how _grown-ups_ kissed.  It was hot and wet. Thor’s tongue dominating Loki’s, teeth sometimes knocking together.  Shuddering, Loki let out a moan, the sound a mix between panic and pleasure; like he was overwhelmed.  Panting, they breathed each other’s air, Loki’s hands scrambling for purchase on Thor’s shoulders.

 

Pulling back slightly, Thor licked at Loki’s wet, swollen lips, savoring how the boy was trembling in his arms.  Loki’s knees were squeezed tight around Thor’s waist, and their chests were almost flush.  It was easy for Thor to slip a hand in between them and start to rub Loki through the front of his shorts.  Surprised, Loki let out a startled sound, as if embarrassed, and tried to pull back.  But Thor just brought him forward once more, hand still firmly cupping the back of Loki’s head and slotted his mouth over the boy’s again. Loki let out a soft moan, sighing into Thor’s mouth and relaxing against Thor’s body.  Thor grinned as he felt Loki slowly begin to buck up into his hand.  

 

“See, what’d I tell you?  You like it, don’t you?” Thor breathed hotly against Loki’s lips.

 

Loki whined as he pulled back and shook his head, suddenly aware again of where he was and _who_ he was doing this with.  Eyes fluttering open, Loki glanced around him.  It was two o’clock in the afternoon and he was in his living room, sitting in the lap of someone his father had hired to work on their house, who was also most likely a cold-blooded criminal, letting that man touch him in notably questionable ways. The curtains weren’t even drawn for God’s sake.  Anyone could see.  But, then Thor squeezed at his cock again, causing Loki to whimper and buck his hips, blowing those thoughts from his mind.  And when Thor’s mouth closed over his again, muffling the sounds of his cries, Loki couldn’t quite remember why he had stopped in the first place. 

 

Thor smirked against Loki’s lips.  It was so easy to turn the boy’s mind into mush and do away with his fiery little retorts.  Hand still massaging the boy’s stiff cock through his shorts, Thor watched as Loki whimpered and jumped, nails digging into Thor’s shoulders.  And Loki seemed almost desperate for Thor’s kisses.  Whenever Thor pulled his lips away, Loki would blindly search him out, eyes closed and chin tilted up beseechingly.  Licking his lips, Thor reached his into the waistband of Loki’s shorts and wrapped his hand around his cock, pulling it out.  

 

Loki moaned again, trembling and biting at Thor’s lips, but he didn’t pull away and he didn’t tell Thor to stop.   

 

“Good boy,” Thor murmured as he stroked over the wet head with his thumb.  “I like it when you’re honest.” 

 

Loki shuddered, but all he could do was tuck his head into the crook of Thor’s shoulder, breathing heavily.  He wound his arms behind Thor’s neck, fingers gripping the material of his t-shirt as if he needed something to hold on to.  Humming happily, Thor mouthed at the side of Loki’s neck as he continued rubbing his thumb over the wet head of his cock.  Loki bit down on his lip, groaning with the pleasure, and Thor began to pump his cock in earnest.  With bleary eyes, Loki looked down, watching his cock sliding in and out of Thor’s big fist, hips jerking up to meet every downward thrust.  He was so sensitive and overwhelmed, he felt like he could come at any moment. 

 

“Hey,” Thor panted in his ear.  “Don’t be selfish now.  You can’t be the only one having fun.”

 

Loki looked at him, half-gone with pleasure and not entirely following what Thor was saying.  But Thor had no problem showing him.  Unwinding one of Loki’s arms from around his neck, Thor brought Loki’s hand down to the front of his jeans to let Loki feel how the material was tented by his own erection.  Moaning, Loki shut his eyes as he rubbed at Thor’s stiff cock.

 

“Good boy,” Thor praised again.  “Now take it out.  Come on. I want you to touch me like I’m touching you.”   

 

Loki’s eyes fluttered open again, haze clearing somewhat, and he looked at Thor hesitantly.  Thor’s cock was amazing and intimidating all at the same time, and Loki was concerned this would end up with Thor’s cock down his throat again.  But Thor was making him feel so good right now, and Loki wasn’t quite sure he’d put up all that much of a fight if Thor forced him to his knees again.  And then Thor was nuzzling at his neck, whispering dirty things in his ear, telling him how much he wanted to see Loki’s little hand wrapped around his big cock and Loki shivered.  Biting his lip, Loki gave in and quickly began fumbling with the buttons to Thor’s jeans.  In a matter of seconds, he had fished out Thor’s cock, fingers barely closing around the base of it as he began stroking.  In reward, Thor bit at his ear, licking the lobe and told him how good he was. 

 

Moaning, Loki closed his eyes and continued stroking the thick cock in his hand, feeling it become slick as Thor started leaking pre-come.  But he couldn’t concentrate.  Thor’s hand on his cock was turning Loki’s mind to mush, his hand slowing on Thor as he became lost in his own pleasure. 

 

Growling, Thor nipped at Loki’s shoulder, hard enough for him to let out a hiss of pain and batted Loki’s useless hand away from his cock.  Loki’s eyes opened then, mourning the loss of Thor’s hand on his own cock and he looked down just in time to see Thor wrap his hand around both their cocks, pressing them together.  The sight of Thor’s thick adult cock lined up against his smaller one made Loki’s stomach flip.  And then Thor stroked upward and the slick, hot slide had Loki’s eyes rolling back as he bit his lips and thrust up hard into the tight warmth.

 

Holding on to Loki tightly with his other arm slung around his waist, Thor proceeded to jerk them both off with slow, tight strokes, twisting his fist around the sensitive heads, spreading their pre-come everywhere.  Loki began whimpering, arms going back up to wrap around Thor’s neck, head tucking back into the crook of his shoulder, as he clung to Thor as if he was the only thing keeping him from falling off the edge.  And Thor couldn’t help but moan as well, his breathing strained and mouth feeling dry.  His mind was blown by how pliant and downright sexy Loki was in his arms.  All he could think about was what he would do this boy once he got the chance to actually fuck him, imagining Loki clinging to him like this, legs wrapped around his back as he took Thor’s cock.

 

Grunting, Thor squeezed their cocks tighter, thrusting up and causing Loki to let out a litany of needy gasps.  And then, with one more swirl of his thumb over the head of Loki’s cock, Loki was crying out, his cock pulsing out ropes of come into Thor’s hand.  As Loki collapsed against him, whimpering in his ear, Thor felt himself nearing his own climax and continued to thrust up in to his hand, seeking his release.  Using the slickness of Loki’s hot come, sliding his cock against Loki’s over-sensitized one, Thor groaned as he came, coating both their cocks. 

 

Breathing heavy, with Loki still clutching on to him and panting hotly in his ear, Thor looked dazedly down at his fingers, covered in their come.  And then he grinned lazily, a nice thought crossing his mind. Sitting back, he maneuvered Loki until the boy was resting on Thor’s thighs, looking up at him with wide, dreamy eyes, pupils blown and hair a tousled sweaty mess.  Loki looked so relaxed for once, Thor just wanted to kiss him.  But instead he brought his fingers up showing the sticky, dripping mess to Loki.

 

“Open up,” he told him, smirking. 

 

Loki blinked slowly as if having trouble processing what Thor was asking him.  Then, as realization dawned on him, he made a face, and shook his head, trying to pull away.  But Thor brought the hand that had been around Loki’s waist up to cup the back of Loki’s head and held him in place.

 

“Come on,” Thor said, voice taking on a harder tone, not liking Loki’s resistance.

 

Loki pouted at him, but he understood that he shouldn’t fight.  Thor had been gentle with him this time.  His body was still buzzing pleasantly with the after effects of what had been a mind-blowing orgasm.  He realized he liked having Thor’s attention and liked being _given_ attention, too.  He wanted a repeat of that.  So, reluctantly, he opened his mouth. 

 

Thor smirked and pressed his wet fingers into Loki’s mouth, sliding them over Loki’s hot tongue, coating his mouth and his teeth.  He spread his fingers, watching the corners of Loki’s mouth stretching, and remembered how good the boy had looked sucking his cock only a few days earlier. 

 

“Suck them,” Thor ordered, voice a little breathy.

 

And with a petulant look, Loki proceeded to do so, closing his mouth and glaring at Thor as he suckled at his fingers.  Thor couldn’t deny how attractive Loki looked doing that, and felt his cock give a weak throb of interest.  He couldn’t help the slow grin that spread over his lips as he pushed his fingers deeper into Loki’s mouth and watched the flush rise on the boy’s cheeks as he moaned.  Looking at Thor shyly he sucked more earnestly, running his tongue between Thor’s fingers.  Thor looked at him with half-lidded eyes, wondering if he had time for another go…time to show Loki some new things.

 

“Thor!” a hissed whisper-shout came from somewhere in the back of the house.

 

And both he and Loki froze.  When they heard the sound of the back door slamming shut and the sound of someone tripping and cursing, Loki scrambled to get off of Thor’s lap, Thor’s fingers sliding from his lips with a wet ‘pop.’  Loki immediately began fixing his clothes, afraid that someone would walk in and they would immediately be able to tell what he had just been doing.

 

“Shit,” Thor groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, leisurely tucking himself back into his jeans, already knowing who had been calling out for him.  “What the hell is he doing in here?”

 

“Thor??” Fandral called again, seeming a bit closer.

 

Loki looked on with wide eyes, seeming terrified that they would get caught, but Thor just grinned at him. 

 

“Don’t worry,” Thor said as he pulled Loki close and planted a wet kiss on his lips.  “No one’s going to come in here.”

 

And then, just like that, he turned on his heels and walked out of the living room.

 

Loki stared after his retreating figure, heart pounding in his chest. He felt flushed, but he wasn’t sure if it was from his recent orgasm or the stress he was feeling from almost getting caught. 

 

“What’re you doing here?” he heard Thor ask from a few rooms away, most likely the kitchen.

 

“What do you mean?  You said you were gonna take a piss and it’s been _half an hour_ , dude.  I started to figure you either skipped out on us or someone kidnapped you.”  

 

“And you thought it’d make sense to go prowling around our employer’s house, calling my name out?” Thor responded, voice getting farther away.

 

Loki strained to hear, stepping a bit closer to the doorway.

 

“Well what about you?  You were in here for half an hour.  That doesn’t seem like _prowling_ to you?  Shit, Thor. What were you up to?  I mean, I know Laufey’s not around, but what if _Loki_ caught you?” Fandral asked, voice dropping a bit lower as if suddenly remembering that the person in question might be able to overhear him.

 

“I wasn’t ‘up’ to anything,” Thor responded.  “I got a phone call. You know, _business_.  I wasn’t about to miss the call.”

 

Fandral was quiet for a few minutes, before he responded, voice more serious.  It sounded like he and Thor had moved farther away, probably right by the back door.

 

“Everything good?  You need us to do anything?  _Talk_ to anyone?” Fandral asked. 

 

Loki flinched hearing Fandral’s question.  Fandral and Thor’s conversation seemed benign and mundane on the surface, but the way Thor’s tone had changed when he mentioned “business,” and Fandral’s accompanying seriousness made Loki feel like they were talking in code.  And it gave further credence to Thor’s likely not-so-empty boasting about being ‘connected.’ 

 

“Nope.  Everything’s still good,” Thor responded, and Loki could hear the sound of the screen door opening. “So, what do you say we get back to our “day job,” huh?”

 

Loki stood there, heart pounding against his chest as he considered what he had just heard, the taste of Thor still strong on his lips.   

* * *

A/N: So, we come to the end of another chapter with these two crazy boys, haha.  Let me know if you like it!  

Also, I think the update rate is going to slow down a little bit from here on out. I’ve been pretending that I don’t have school-related work to do, and I can’t really justify spending hours writing smut (as much as I want to) and straight up ignoring my research D:.  But, hopefully I’ll have something new in a week or so!!

Happy Holidays if I don’t post before then! xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

****A/N:  And here’s chapter 4! So sorry it took me so long to get the next chapter out (Happy belated New Year by the way! O_O)  The new school term has started and it’s been a beast!  I’ve also been playing around on Tumblr and reading all the _amazing_ fic that’s been posted in the last month or so, so that may have been where all my free time has gone! Haha.  But, I was finally able to whip this up, so I hope you like it!  I also need to confess that I commit a bit of a porn-cliché in this chapter, but… well, I think it was actually kind of fitting based on the ‘location' of the events ;p. Enjoy!

* * *

Following his and Thor’s most recent tryst in the living room, Loki had spent the night going over and over the events in his head.  He was somewhat giddy.  Not because he thought that this suddenly made what he was doing with Thor “okay”—no, Loki knew enough to know that it was most definitely _not_ okay—but because of what he had felt and what Thor had _done_. 

 

Everything from the feel of Thor’s breath on his ear, to his large, calloused hands on his hips, to the hot grip of Thor stroking his cock was permanently seared into his mind.  Even the way Thor had _kissed_ him had Loki whimpering at the memory.  Loki had thought he knew how to “kiss” before that, but when Thor had kissed him—practically dominated his mouth—Loki realized that all the kisses he had had before that were merely child’s play.  No one had ever stuck their tongue in his mouth before.  No one had ever practically stolen his breath away. 

 

When Loki was around Thor, something came over him.  He figured this was what people called _lust_.  But Loki hated that he was so weak to his own desires; that he could be made to bend to Thor’s will just because the man was gorgeous, and smelled nice, and was big and powerful, and all the things Loki realized he wanted.  He made Loki’s insides throb whenever he was near. 

 

Thor infuriated him, but at the same time, Loki _wanted_ to be wanted by Thor.  He wanted Thor’s eyes on him. He wanted Thor to _care_ about him.  But, Loki wasn’t quite sure Thor even gave him a second thought once they parted ways. 

 

And that thought was always pretty effective at cooling his fires a bit.  Loki still had no idea what he meant to Thor, or what Thor was getting out of this (other than the sex, that is).  He wanted to know why _him_?  He hated the thought that maybe Thor went home and laughed about him, or that Thor told his friends about him, like he was some desperate fool.  Or, worse, that Thor had someone else—someone who _actually_ mattered. 

 

But Loki also knew that he could never ask Thor these questions.  Thor barely let him talk when they interacted.  And Loki was afraid that if he asked he would upset some kind of delicate balance in which, as long as they didn’t talk about it, they could keep going on.  But Loki feared that the longer this went on, the more his feelings would get involved and the more he would be devastated when Thor finally said he was done with him. 

 

Loki already knew his “feelings” were involved.  He thought about Thor throughout most of the day, wondering if he would see Thor that day; if Thor would talk to him; if he would touch him.    And, before Thor had actually kissed him for the first time, Loki had spent more time than he was willing to admit imagining what kissing Thor would feel like.  And now that Thor _had,_ Loki wanted to do it over and over again.  If that wasn’t a lovesick fool, then what was?  The kiss, and everything Thor had done afterwards, had shifted something within Loki.  He had discovered that Thor could be gentle if he wanted to be.  And that Thor could make him feel _good_ , if he wanted to. 

 

All the other times, Loki had (to his sheer mortification) gotten off even though Thor had been forceful and cruel. But he had been able to tell himself that he had no choice and that he could blame Thor for it.  Now, Loki had willingly gone to Thor and had come by his hand and he had _loved_ it.  He was sure that if Thor ever became aware of that fact the older man would lord it over him.  He had only known Thor for a short time, but he already knew that Thor was a smug bastard. 

 

Thor was still intimidating to Loki, who found him unpredictable, demanding, and reckless, but now he was also far more alluring.  That was a dangerous combination for Loki.  How could he ever expect to kick his Thor-habit now?  

* * *

The days following the incident in the living room found Loki antsy and in a bad mood.  Thor hadn’t been back to the house in _days._ The construction project was still moving along as planned, however, and every day Loki watched Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg (sans Thor) unload the van and begin to work as he bit at his lip and wondered what Thor was getting up to.  He even once had the embarrassingly illogical thought that Thor was spending his time working on another building project and that there was some other boy who was benefiting from Thor’s attentions.  

 

To distract himself from the useless thoughts, once Loki realized Thor wasn’t going to be showing up for the day, Loki had taken to spending most of his days out and away from the house.  He had begun to explore the town center, finding more shops he liked and places he could possibly see himself frequenting once the school year started.  He had even taken a walk to the high school, just to see what it looked like.  To his displeasure, he had run across some students hanging around in the courtyard.  They had been nice enough, asking him what grade he would be entering in the fall, but Loki had felt awkward and uncomfortable, and hadn’t stayed for long.  Thankfully, none of them would be in his grade and Loki doubted he would have to run into them again.      

 

More than anything, Loki had found a bit of a safe-haven at the town library.  It had also been a convenient discovery because just that week Laufey had complained to Loki about always asking for money especially since Loki seemed completely uninterested in getting a summer job.  Loki wasn’t about to kick his online shopping habit, but he had decided that maybe he didn’t actually need to _buy_ every book or comic he wanted to read.  So he had ended up at the library and his activities there had been doing a pretty good job at distracting Loki from Thor—or the lack thereof, to be more exact. 

 

But when Friday morning rolled around and there was _still_ no sign of Thor, Loki finally decided he would have to get some kind of an answer or he would drive himself mad.  It was almost noon and Loki had made plans to meet someone for lunch in town, but he had tried to stay at the house as long as he could to see if Thor would finally show up.  But, seeing no sign of him, Loki slipped on his shoes and made his way outside, purposefully marching over to Fandral.

 

Standing at the far side of the backyard, the blonde seemed to be relating some kind of fantastic story as he leaned on a shovel and gestured animatedly with his other hand.  Volstagg was almost red in the face with laughter and even Hogun had a look of mirth on his usually stoic features.  Although the three often seemed like they were having more fun than actually working, Loki could see that the backyard was starting to come together.  Just within the last day, the three had constructed the raw beginnings of a wooden gazebo which sat upon an intricate brick patio at the end of the paved walkway. And a few days ago, Loki had seen that they had started framing the addition to the house, which would become his father’s new office.

 

“Hey!” Loki called out as he came closer, gaining the attention of the three men.

 

“Oh, Loki,” Fandral said as he turned around and smiled at him.  “We haven’t seen much of you in the last few days.  It seems like you’ve been out and about a lot lately.  Going on little adventures?”  

 

“Not really… This town’s pretty boring, but I figure there must be _something_ to do around here,” Loki said with a shrug.

 

Volstagg laughed.

 

“Hmm, well it all depends on if you know where to look,” he said.  “Have you tried Helga’s Bakery?  The cupcakes there are to die for.” 

 

Loki smiled slightly.

 

“I actually _have_ tried it,” he admitted somewhat bashfully.  “It was pretty good.” 

 

Loki then realized he was getting distracted from his main goal.  If he didn’t ask soon, he would never know and a whole weekend would pass by with him worrying about what Thor was up to. 

 

“I haven’t seen— Uh… Where’s Thor been lately?” Loki asked, trying to feign nonchalance as he looked around the backyard.

 

Fandral’s eyebrow rose inquisitively as Loki fumbled over the words and Loki felt himself getting hot under the collar.

 

 “Oh, Thor?” Fandral asked as he glanced over to his friends.  The way the blonde-man’s eyebrows scrunched up and his mouth drew tight around the corners, Loki could already tell that he was thinking up some lie to tell him. 

 

“Hmm… well, Thor got pulled away to do some…uh business for his dad.   He’s been out of town for the last few days,” Fandral said with a shrug and a forced smile. 

 

Loki blinked.  Well… that sounded better than “Thor’s on a vacation with his girlfriend,” but it was curious that Fandral was being so tight-lipped about it if it was something as mundane as a business-trip.  And then Loki stiffened a bit when it dawned on him what “business” most likely meant when it came out of the mouth of Thor and his friends.  Was Thor out of town doing something _criminal_? And, worse yet, was he hurting someone? 

 

“But, don’t worry, he should be coming back either today or tomorrow,” Fandral said, cutting into his thoughts, the friendly tone now returned to his voice.

 

Loki flushed, eyebrows drawing together and mouth pulling down into a small moue. 

 

“I’m _not_ worried,” he said with a huff. “Just want to make sure my dad’s not paying that guy to slack off.” 

 

Fandral laughed.

 

“Well, he did clear it with your dad,” he explained.  “And, besides, do you really have so little faith in us to think we can’t get the job done without Thor here?”

 

Loki felt a bit embarrassed and quickly tried to correct the misunderstanding.

 

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying. To be honest, you guys look like you take the work far more seriously than Thor does,” he said. 

 

That gained another boisterous laugh from Volstagg.

 

“That may be true, but don’t let Thor catch you saying that,” Volstagg said with a wink. “His majesty seems to think these side jobs are beneath him.  He’d rather spend his time working on the _real_ stuff.”

 

Loki’s eyebrow rose at his words, and he watched as Volstagg’s face fell and eyes widened while Hogun and Fandral shot him withering looks.

 

“What he _means_ is just that Thor doesn’t really love it that he’s sent to do construction. He’d rather be more involved with the business side of his father’s organization.  You know, all the moving and shaking,” Fandral hurried to explain. 

 

Loki gulped to himself as he looked at the three men.  It was so easy to forget that they were likely just as ruthless as Thor made himself out to be.  And even though it was clear they were trying to skirt around the issue—and pretend like they didn’t lead double-lives—the things they were saying were making Loki more and more sure that Thor hadn’t been lying when he said he was “connected.”  Loki couldn’t help but shudder.   

 

“Um… ok.  Well, I… I guess I’m gonna head to town then,” Loki said, as he averted his eyes.  

 

“Oh again?” Fandral asked, playfully.  “Now I’m starting to think you’ve got a _girlfriend_ there or something.”

 

Loki blanched. The first thing that crossed his mind was that he didn’t want information like that—wrong as it might be—getting back to _Thor_. 

 

“D-definitely not!” Loki protested.

 

But Fandral just laughed, seeming to believe the complete opposite.  Sighing, Loki rolled his eyes and turned on his heel.

 

“Have a good time, Loki,” Volstagg called to him.

 

Loki waved back at them, but for some reason his stomach was twisting in knots. 

* * *

Half an hour later, Loki was stepping off the bus in the center of town.  It only took him about a block’s walk before he was pushing open heavy wooden doors and stepping into the large library, with its hushed atmosphere, soft light, and cool air, smelling of old books. Looking around him, he took a cursory account of the few people scattered at the tables and in the stacks as he walked toward the circulation desk.

 

As he came to a stop, he could already see the person he was coming there to meet standing with his back turned as he filed a number of books on the returns shelves behind him.    

 

“Hey, Steve,” Loki hailed shyly, still somewhat unused to the fact that he was supposed to consider this guy his “friend.”

 

The blonde turned around, blue eyes lighting up with genuine pleasure at seeing the reticent youth.  

 

“Hey, Loki.  Great timing, I’m just about to start my break,” he said. “You ready to go?”

 

Smiling back, Loki nodded.  

* * *

Thor gripped the handlebars of his bike a bit tighter than usual as he rode through town, coasting toward Main Street.  His teeth were grit, his mouth turned down into a small frown, and his eyes were narrowed behind the reflective lenses of his sunglasses.  He wasn’t angry.  But, oh, was he  _annoyed._

 

His father had sent him out of town to oversee a smuggling deal with a low-level crime ring.  They were dealing in small electronics, and Thor had to waste his time making sure that none of the product they were trying to pass over on to the Borsons was faulty and that they were actually getting everything they had been _promised._ It was practically like he was doing _quality control_ and the thought of it soured his mood even more.  It was beneath him.  It was petty.  And Thor couldn’t understand why—so soon after having secured a relationship with the Romanova family—his father was _still_ doing this to him. 

 

Thor couldn't decide if Odin was _mocking_ him, or if the old man was really trying to teach Thor some type of "lesson" or skill that would later be useful to Thor once he took over the business.  He was more inclined to feel slighted by it, but Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg had each warned him that going to Odin to complain over it would be like looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Odin was still giving him important _duties_ , and brokering a deal (no matter how trivial it seemed to Thor) still meant that Thor held a lot of clout in the organization.  Odin hadn't asked one of the Warriors Three to do it, after all.  They were capable and reliable, there was no doubt about that, but Odin still saw them as soldiers—to be led and commanded—not as captains.  They were pretty much fine with that, enjoying teaming up with Thor and being trusted as his right-hand men.  But they wouldn't be able to continue that lifestyle if Thor got himself kicked out of the family for overstepping the bounds of his father's patience.  So Thor had decided to try to make his peace with that, and look at it as some kind of trust exercise, keeping his dissatisfaction to himself, for once.

 

He let out a frustrated sigh as he approached the town center and turned on to Main.  He knew he would have to head back and report to his father and it was better to calm himself down before having a one-on-one with Odin.  The man could always tell when Thor was itching for a fight and Thor was half convinced that sometimes Odin goaded him into one just to see if he was still immature enough to take the bait.  Thor would try his best not to do that either.  But then just as Thor was about to make a right something caught his eye and he had to stop himself from making a hard brake.  Instead he pulled slightly off the road, easing his bike into an idle as he stared at the sight before him, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. 

 

He watched carefully, eyebrows drawing down and mouth twisting into a scowl, as someone he immediately recognized as _Loki_ walked out of the ice cream shop across the street, flanked by Steve. Fucking. Rogers.   Thor felt something hot and nasty well up within his chest.  He used to actually be friends with Steve back in high school.  He had been two years ahead of Thor and they had even been on the same wrestling team for a short while.  But Steve had gone into the military for four years following graduation and in that span of time Thor had more boldly embraced his “birthright.”  When Steve came back and started to get an idea of what Thor, and the Borsons, were up to, he had made his disapproval unmistakably clear.  And whatever sense of "friendship" that had existed between them had, for the most part, disappeared. 

 

And there Loki was, staring up at Rogers with a wide smile and big eyes. Half of his wavy black hair was pulled back into a bun, the rest of it curling nicely on his shoulders.   It was a cooler day, still warm but not sweltering like it had been for most of the brutal summer, and Loki was decked out in one of those loose t-shirts that Thor always liked seeing him in, one shoulder hanging askew, showing a bit of his pale skin.  Thor watched, frown deepening, as Loki’s little tongue darted out to lick at the rainbow sprinkle-coated vanilla cone in his hand.  It looked like the little slut was _flirting_ , and Thor couldn’t STAND it. 

 

Bringing his bike to a full stop, Thor cut the engine with an angry flick of his wrist.  As he whipped off his aviators, he saw a group of women who were walking past him on the street flinch, startled by his abrupt appearance and undoubtedly intimidating demeanor.  Thor shot them a fake smile as he pushed his hair back from his face, swiping away the strands that had worked themselves loose from his bun.  The women, seemingly charmed by his appearance once they got a chance to get a better look at him, gave him shy, nervous smiles back and then continued on their way.   Thor's smile dropped as soon as they turned their backs.  He pushed himself off his bike, heavy boots hitting the sidewalk solidly and made his way over to the unlikely pair standing in front of the ice cream store.    

 

“What do we have here?” Thor asked as he approached them, eyes fixated on the back of Loki's head.  

 

Loki jumped, flinching noticeably as he turned around and looked at Thor with wide, almost comically large eyes.  Loki looked like he had seen a living, breathing ghost.  Or something that was just as horrifying.  

 

Steve frowned, noticing the reaction but couldn’t linger on it long as he watched Thor come to a stop in front of him, hands on his hips, sizing him up.  Steve had always been impressive among the other guys in his platoon.  But, Thor was even more impressive than that.  Thor had a few inches on him, and definitely beat him in the bulk area as well.  Steve just wished Thor had put that physique to use doing something more honorable.  The contractor position would’ve been great, if that was _all_ Thor was doing.  The fact that Thor spent his nights raising all kinds of hell disappointed Steve.

 

“Thor,” Steve said as he nodded towards him. 

 

Thor frowned as he blatantly looked Steve up and down.

 

“Rogers,” he said, in a clipped tone.

 

Steve frowned.

“We know each other a bit better than that, Thor,” Steve said, with a tight smile, not looking forward to dealing with a Thor who was itching to pick a fight. 

 

“Oh yeah?  Since you came back it seems like you’ve been wanting to act like you barely know me,” Thor said as he smirked nastily and crossed his arms over his chest.

 

Steve sighed and decided to ignore the bait. 

 

“Um, so to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” Steve asked as he stepped a bit closer to Loki, noticing the boy was still standing stiffly, ice cream cone forgotten in his hand and eyes now trained on his shoes, as if he was trying to disappear.  

 

Steve wondered if Loki was afraid of Thor.  Thor was a big guy and currently he was giving off aggressive vibes.  Steve wouldn't be surprised if a kid like Loki felt threatened by his presence.  

 

“Loki?  You aren’t going to say hi to me?” Thor called as he looked down at the top of Loki’s dark head, ignoring Steve's question completely. 

 

Steve raised an eyebrow in confusion.  He thought Thor had come over to talk to _him_ , as strange as that was.  But now he was starting to catch on that the focus of his interest had been on the boy the whole time. 

 

“You...know each other?” Steve asked the obvious question, but he wanted to make it clear to Thor that, even if they did, it seemed like Loki didn’t want to talk to him.

 

Thor turned his attention back on to Steve and gave him another smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

 

“Yeah, you could say Loki and I know each other very well.  Wouldn’t you, Loki?” Thor asked, the tone of his voice insinuating that he expected an answer this time around. 

 

Loki finally looked up, glancing nervously between Steve and Thor before he nodded.

 

“Y-yeah. Thor’s the one working on my house this summer.  Well him and his friends,” Loki explained.

 

Steve blinked, surprised.  Loki had mentioned that his house was under renovation.  Steve just didn’t know why it had never crossed his mind that the Borsons would be involved in that project.  Crime-family or not, the Borsons were still reputable when it came to the quality of their work in that area.   

 

“So, what’s going on here?” Thor asked again, a sneer on his face.  “You two on a little date or something?”

 

Loki's eyes widened as he looked at Thor.  Thor was smirking but Loki could tell it was just for show.  He did not look happy and Loki shuddered, already imagining what the repercussions of this encounter would entail.  

 

“N-no,” Loki said quickly as he stepped in front of Steve and looked up at Thor, eyes searching the older man’s. “That’s not… Steve’s my _friend_.” 

 

“Yeah, Thor, I’m not quite sure what you’re implying here.  We’re just getting some ice cream…” Steve explained, looking between the two suspiciously. 

 

“Is that so?  How exactly do the two of you know each other?” Thor asked, the question again aimed at Loki.  Steve was starting to feel like nothing more than a spectator in this conversation.  

 

“W-we _don’t_ …. not really.  Well, I met Steve at the library.  He’s working there part time,” Loki said as he shifted from foot to foot. 

 

Steve furrowed his brows as he listened to the exchange, feeling completely at a loss.  Thor and he barely acknowledged each other nowadays so he couldn’t understand why Thor was so _interested,_ all of a sudden, in anything that involved Steve.  Things weren’t exactly hostile between them, but Steve had never held back on telling Thor how “disappointed” he was in the path the younger man had taken.  And Thor was definitely someone who didn’t like being told what to do.  Steve felt confident that, whatever tension there was between them now, Thor still respected the fact that they _used_ to be friends enough that Steve wouldn’t have to be in fear that he would ever be the unlucky target of a Borson hit.  But that didn’t make Steve feel any better.  He hated the fact that Thor was involved in this type of life at all.  And Steve hated what the repercussions of having a crime syndicate in their midst was doing to their community. 

 

Steve knew that someone like Loki, new as he was, probably had no idea what was really going on in their town.  They lived in a quaint suburb; a town with history and an abundance of family-owned stores. Everything seemed picture perfect with moms driving by in their SUVs, and fathers coming to and fro in business suits. Everyone was middle class or better, and the houses and buildings reflected that. Thor’s family lived in a swanky house at the end of town—not showy enough to raise suspicion, but they were, easily, one of the more well-off families in the town.   No one, looking in from the outside, would imagine that such reputable people were up to such appalling levels of _no good._ No one would think anyone from their town could be like that. 

 

But the Borsons were smart enough not to live where they shit.  The real dirty work took place in the _city_ , almost half an hour away.  And Steve saw the effects _there_.  The drugs, the guns, the girls working on the streets.  But no one in their town had to see those nasty parts of it.  No one would be stupid enough to bring crime into the same town the Borsons _lived_.  And the townspeople benefited from that as well.  Having the Borsons here kept them safe; it kept the dangers of the city out. 

 

But Steve lived in the city now.  He was renting a small apartment and he was going to school.  He had been naïve before he left for the military.  But when he had come back, more mature and more jaded, and had decided to live on his own, he had quickly caught on that things were much different than he had known them growing up as a kid.  Steve wanted to join the police force.  In fact, he was only a year away from graduating with his degree in Criminal Justice.  He didn’t know what would happen once he was actually in a position to do something about his knowledge of what the Borson family was getting up to.  He knew one day he himself would probably bring Thor in, and he knew that would not be a pretty day.  The sense of safety he had in knowing that the Borsons would leave him alone would probably not exist anymore. 

 

Steve knew he would cross that bridge when he got there, though.  For right now, something about this situation with Loki was making him uncomfortable.  He had never seen Thor interact with a _kid_ before, and seeing him do it now was so uncharacteristic it was creeping Steve out.  Sure, Thor had a little brother, but the kid was already so indoctrinated in the “family ways” that he seemed older than his almost 13 years.  And, besides, Thor had always been cocky and pig-headed.  He was the type who might be a perfectly fine “big brother” behind closed doors, but wouldn’t deign to be seen with Balder out in public.  So… what did Thor find so interesting about a quiet, quirky fifteen-year-old?

 

“You two seem to be quite friendly,” Steve stated as he looked at them, studying their body language.  In the few minutes they had been talking, Thor had moved closer to Loki and he was now standing closer than Steve would expect for "acquaintances."  He was practically crowding the boy.  And Loki, while not stepping away, seemed to be cowering in Thor’s presence, as if he wasn’t sure if he wanted to get closer or further away. 

 

Thor looked up at Steve and grinned, in his usual smug and cocky way.  The way that grated on Steve.

 

“What, Rogers?  You jealous?” Thor asked.     

 

Steve frowned at him with a pinched expression.

 

"Not quite sure what I have to be jealous of.  Kind of seems like you're bullying this kid here, Thor," Steve quipped back, crossing his arms over his chest.  If that was really what was going on--if this grown man was really bullying a _teenager_ \--Steve was about ready to get involved, wrath of the Borson family be damned.  

 

But then Thor laughed.  Actually laughed.  As if Steve's accusation was so off the mark he thought it was ludicrous.  And, as if to show Steve how wrong he was, Thor smirked as he turned toward Loki and leaned over, taking a long lick of Loki’s ice-cream cone.  Loki stiffened, looking into Thor’s eyes as the man’s pink tongue lapped at the sprinkle-coated white ice cream.  His eyes a veritable mixture of anger and lust.  Loki felt himself tremble.

 

“Thor, what the hell are you doing??” Steve asked from behind him, sounding almost scandalized. 

 

Thor laughed again as he stood back up.

 

“I wanted a taste.  And Loki and I are such good _friends_ that I thought he'd be up for sharing. You don’t mind, do you, Loki?” he asked as he looked down at the speechless boy.

 

“I bought that for Loki, Thor,” Steve said, drawing Thor’s attention back to him.  “You can’t just-”

 

Thor frowned and rolled his eyes before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet.  Opening it, he fished out a bill and then held it out to Loki with one hand while he grabbed the cone from him with the other. 

 

“Here, I’ll take this one.  You go buy a new one,” Thor said, smiling.  “And you can keep the change.”

 

“I wasn’t _asking_ you to do that, Thor!” Steve said, frowning now. 

 

“Th-this is a _fifty_ dollar bill…” Loki said as he looked more carefully at the note in his hand, wondering if Thor realized his mistake. 

 

“I know,” Thor said as he shrugged and licked indifferently at the cone in his hand.

 

“Um, that’s really okay, Thor.  I… I don’t need you to buy me a new one,” Loki protested as he tried to hand it back.

 

Thor's expression darkened.

 

“It’s rude of you to reject my gift, Loki.  And you don't want to be ruder than you've been already, do you?" Thor asked.   

 

Loki flinched as he stared at Thor, unable to answer, knowing full well that Thor was displeased with him, but not knowing how to fix this situation in the slightest.

 

"Go buy a new one.  Now,” Thor said, leaving no room for misunderstanding in his tone.

 

Loki still hesitated though, glancing back and forth between Steve and Thor, seeming as if he was afraid about what would transpire in his absence.  But after seeing that Thor’s look was souring even more Loki sighed and turned back toward the ice cream shop.  Steve and Thor watched Loki in silence for a few moments until they saw the glass door swing shut behind him, the wind-chimes on the door tinkling, and turned to face each other.

 

“Thor, what the hell is going on?” Steve asked,  arms still crossed aggressively over his chest.

 

“I feel like I should be asking _you_ that.  Ice cream with a teenager, Steve?” Thor asked nastily.

 

Steve flushed, frowning.

 

“Again, I don’t know what you’re _implying_ but I don’t like the sound of it,” Steve said.

 

Thor shrugged.

  
"Maybe I'm  not _implying_ anything," Thor said.  "It's up to you to confirm or deny."

 

Steve blanched and looked at him with disgust.

 

"Not everyone is as depraved as _you_ Thor.  Maybe it's because you've become so twisted that you can't help but find ulterior motives in everyone else around you.  Loki and I are _friends_.  He's just a lonely kid that's been spending his time in the library this summer so I've offered to help him get to know the town some more," Steve spat.  "But not that that's any of _your_ business." 

 

Thor gave Steve a placid look as he continued to eat the sweet ice cream.  He didn't even _like_ ice cream.  But Thor had taken the cone just so he could deprive Loki of it. It gnawed at him that Steve had bought it for the boy.  And Loki had looked so _happy_ about it too.  Thor had never seen Loki look at _him_ like that and it enraged him to think that there was something going on between them behind his back.  But, watching Steve bluster and stammer, seeming so _offended_ about what Thor was suggesting had pretty much confirmed to Thor that maybe Loki and Steve were really just "friends."  Which was good.  Because Thor wasn't quite sure what he'd do if he found out something to the contrary.  For a moment he found himself envisioning what it would be like to snap Steve's neck.  Steve would probably put up a fight.  It wouldn't be easy.  But Thor often _liked_ a good fight. 

 

"Well, what the hell do you even care, huh?? It doesn't look like Loki quite likes _your_ company.  What, are you feeling a little jealous?" Steve asked, feeling as if Thor had practically lost interest in him once Loki had disappeared from their sight and wanting to take a jab at the smug man himself.

 

Thor raised his eyebrows and regarded Steve like one would look at a gnat.

 

"You don't know the half of what we get up to, Steve," Thor said with an innocent shrug, but the look in his eyes didn't seem half as innocent and Steve frowned.  "Loki's not as bored as he would want you to think.  Maybe he's spending time with you because he feels sorry for _you_?  Must be pretty boring trying to be so righteous all the time." 

 

Steve narrowed his eyes at Thor as he tried to look past the insult and figure out exactly what Thor was hinting at. 

 

But then Thor was sighing and pulling out his phone, looking as if he was disappointed that something had interrupted their exchange.  Steve watched as Thor read whatever was on the screen before he slipped it back into his back pocket.  

 

"It's been fun, Rogers, but "duty" calls," Thor said feigning an apologetic look.

 

Before Steve could respond—already having a few choice words to say about Thor's "duties"—the chimes on the door behind them sounded again and Loki reappeared, holding a fresh sprinkle-coated cone.  Again, something in the atmosphere changed when Thor and Loki met each other's eyes.  It was something charged, that Steve couldn't quite understand.  But then Thor was turning back to him, almost as if he was making a point of ignoring Loki.

 

"Make sure you get the boy back home in one piece.  I'm holding you to being responsible for him," Thor said, again with that fake smile that was edged with something a bit more threatening. 

 

Steve blinked in confusion, but then Thor lazily waved at him with two fingers before leaving them, not even sparing Loki a second glance. Steve and Loki stood there on the sidewalk, as Thor ambled away nonchalantly, watching the long lines of his legs in his jeans and his broad back outlined in a dark leather jacket.  Steve was looking at him with suspicion, but Loki's look was… something else.    

 

When Thor was far enough away, and Steve could see him climbing on to his bike, Steve grabbed Loki’s wrist, startling the younger boy and forcing him to drag his eyes away from Thor's form.  Loki looked up at him with wide eyes, confused.

 

“Loki…you need to stay away from Thor Borson, alright?” Steve asked as he looked at him, eyes looking troubled.

 

Loki flushed.

 

“Um… I-I don’t really have much to _do_ with him, Steve.  He’s just doing construction on my house,” Loki mumbled.

 

Steve frowned.

 

“Loki… Thor doesn’t just… he doesn’t just stop by for little “chats.”  He’s not that kind of guy.  I don’t know what he’s told you, or why he’s so interested in you, but he’s _dangerous_.  Do you hear me, Loki?  He’s not the kind of guy to get involved with,” Steve warned.

 

Loki felt uncomfortable.  He didn’t want Steve to find out what his “involvement” with Thor was.  Loki, himself, didn’t quite understand what he and Thor were doing, and he was sure _Steve_ would never understand it. 

 

Shaking off Steve’s grip on his wrist, Loki forced a smile.

 

“Don’t worry, Steve,” he said.  “I’m definitely not going to get involved with Thor.”  

* * *

Less than an hour later Loki was back at home.  He was already thinking about how to properly apologize to Steve the next time he saw him.  After Thor had left them on the street all Steve had seemed like he wanted to do was talk about _Thor_ , grilling Loki about him and warning him to “stay away.”  And Loki wanted to talk about anything _but_ Thor.  Having been caught like that had made Loki so anxious thinking about what Thor would do to him once they were alone again.  Thor had pretended to be fine—even cordial—but Loki knew it was all a farce.  Loki didn't understand why he felt like he was in _trouble._ There really should have been nothing wrong with him making friends with people he met in town. And Steve, of all people, was a great guy.  He was more of a stand-up citizen than Loki was, chastising him on more than one occasion when Loki let an expletive slip out of his mouth.  But, Loki had immediately known, once Thor looked at him, that he had done something very very wrong.  At least according to  _Thor._ His stomach had been twisting in knots ever since Thor left them, and the worried and suspicious looks Steve was giving him weren't helping.  So, after finding that Steve was uninterested in dropping the subject, Loki had pretended like he had gotten a text from his father asking him to come home earlier than he had originally planned and had apologized and left.

 

When he arrived home, Loki had practically slinked into his own house, nervous that when he returned Thor would be there waiting for him.  But once he made his way to the kitchen window (after having come in from the front door) and peeked outside, he only saw Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral in the backyard, seeming to be almost in the same spot he had left them earlier.  Loki was definitely relieved, but some part of him was still somewhat disappointed.  While he didn't want to face Thor's _wrath_ , he still wanted to _see_ him.  He had been waiting to see Thor for so long, and even though his chance encounter with him hadn't been what he had been expecting, he couldn't deny that his heart had jumped in his chest when he laid his eyes on Thor, tall and big and beautiful.  But, shrugging, he had decided that at least not seeing Thor today would give him some time to come up with a good excuse for what he had been doing (and most certainly _not doing_ ) with Steve Rogers.  

 

It had been almost three hours since then and Loki had been able to calm himself down somewhat.  His father had asked him to prepare something for dinner and Loki was actually looking forward to it.  Laufey had been working late for most of the week and by the time he came home it was late in the evening.  Loki didn't think he'd miss his father's company as much as he had, but it was a big house that was usually empty and now, with the move, he didn't have his friends to take up his time.  There was only so much texting and Facetime could achieve before someone really started to feel lonely.  

 

Sighing, Loki opened the large kitchen pantry, pulling the string to the dim bulb hanging from the ceiling.  It was a walk-in.  Nothing too fancy.  It was barely big enough for Loki to stretch his arms out, his fingers landing firmly on the shelves on either side.  But he liked it.  It seemed fitting with the old house that Loki was, begrudgingly, starting to like. 

 

From inside the pantry, Loki heard the screen door in the kitchen clatter open, but thought nothing of it, assuming one of the guys was coming in for a break.  But then a few moments later, the space suddenly got darker, as if something was blocking the light coming in from the much brighter kitchen and Loki spun around, wondering who was standing behind him.   When his eyes landed on Thor, practically taking up the entire doorway, he gasped.  Thor was pushing him further into the pantry and pulling the door shut behind him before Loki could even open his mouth to say one word.   

 

Thor moved in, cornering Loki, and the space suddenly felt _tiny_ when shared with Thor's impressive bulk and intense body heat.  Loki let out a whine of surprise when Thor grabbed him hard, pushing him up against one of the walls of shelves.  The light was dim to the point of almost being useless now, with the door closed, but it was still enough to see the look on Thor's face.  It was that mix of anger and lust Loki remembered seeing when Thor met him on the street but far more intense.  It was unbridled.  And Loki was afraid. 

 

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Loki stuttered out as he tried to twist out of Thor's grasp, but the man's tight hold on his biceps wouldn't budge.

 

"What do you think?" Thor asked, voice low and gruff.

 

Thor knew Loki meant what he was doing at the _house_ , and Thor could have simply told him he had come to check up on the progress of the project.  And that _had_ been what Thor had been doing.  Initially.  From where he was standing looking disinterestedly at blueprints for the addition to the house, he had seen Loki's dark head through the kitchen window and he had immediately felt a hot flash of anger, still displeased about what he had witnessed earlier on the street that day.  But Thor didn't need to tell Loki that.  He didn't have to _explain_ anything to Loki.  This wasn't what this arrangement was about, and it was about time Loki realized that.  

 

Then he moved closer to Loki, pressing his body up against his and Loki's eyes widened.  Thor was rock hard. 

 

“A-are you _insane_?  My father… My father’s just in the other room, Thor!  He could come in here at any second,” Loki hissed through his teeth, wanting to scream at Thor, but not wanting to risk drawing attention to them.

 

All Loki could think about was that he had left Laufey in the living room, his father tiredly engaging in a conference call.  There was nothing to stop him from walking into the kitchen.  There was no telling how long it would be before they were _discovered_.  Loki felt his stomach clench with anxiety.

 

“You just need to be quiet, and everything will be fine,” Thor said indifferently as he caged Loki in with his much bigger body, moving his head down to mouth lazily at the exposed expanse of Loki's long neck.  

 

“Thor, please.  I… I can’t do this here.  We can… we can do it later, ok?   J-just let me out,” Loki said as he struggled against him, clearly upset.

 

“You didn’t mind being seen on the street with Steve Rogers, flirting with him like you couldn’t wait for him to bend you over,” Thor growled in his ear, grip tightening on Loki's arms. 

 

Loki stiffened, eyes going wide.  So  _that_ was what this was about.  Loki couldn't quite say he was surprised, but he had never expected Thor would punish him this way.  It was reckless and sadistic, and Loki was convinced that Thor probably really  _didn't_ care about the possibility that they could get caught.  And that was enough to make Loki panic.  

 

“Thor _please_.  You have to believe me.  That’s _not_ what was going on.  I promise you.  I _swear._ Can you...can you just let me out of here.  I don’t want… My _dad’s_ home,” Loki pleaded, eyes starting to grow wet. 

 

Thor growled again, ignoring him as he pushed Loki's body up further against the shelves, lifting him until he could maneuver himself between Loki's legs, holding him there with his body.  Letting go of his arms, he grabbed Loki's thighs, raising them until Loki was forced to wrap them around Thor's waist.  Loki grabbed on to the shelves behind him, to steady himself, looking at Thor with wide and distrustful eyes.  His heart was hammering in his chest, his mouth dry with worry. He didn't know what Thor planned to do, but his eyes didn't look kind. 

 

Thor pressed one hand up against Loki's chest, holding him in place, as his other hand dropped to the crotch of Loki's pants.  Thor squeezed him through the fabric, causing Loki to gasp and jerk, his body responding even though he didn't want it to.  Smirking to himself, Thor rubbed Loki a bit, rough and hard, until he could feel Loki stiffening before moving his hand to the waist of his shorts.  He was appreciative that Loki had changed in to another pair of the loose-fitting basketball shorts, just like that day on the couch, since it was now so easy for him to tug them down, maneuvering them past the boy’s hips and the swell of his bottom.  Thor let out a satisfied hum of approval as he watched Loki's cock spring up, already firm and standing at attention.

 

Loki tried to struggle, twisting against Thor, even so much as bringing his hands up to push insistently against Thor’s chest.  But Thor could tell Loki was too afraid to make much noise, and likely too afraid to actually strike him.  So it was easy enough to subdue him.

 

"Behave," Thor growled out as he wrapped one hand around Loki's cock and squeezed it hard enough that it touched on the border of painful. 

 

Loki hissed, glaring at Thor with venomous eyes, but his body stilled. 

 

"Good boy," Thor sneered as he released him. 

 

Loki watched silently as Thor reached behind him for something on the shelf above his head, and when Thor pulled back, a clear bottle of olive oil dangling between his fingers, the only sound that permeated the tight quarters was Loki's sharp intake of breath.  He looked on with wide eyes as Thor meticulously poured the contents over the fingers of his left hand.

 

" _Thor_ ," Loki hissed, quietly as he could but voice still sounding enraged. "What do you think you're going to do with that?" 

 

Thor glared at him, and before Loki had time to think to regret his tone, he felt Thor's right hand come up around his throat.  It wasn't hard enough to block off his air, but it was hard enough for Loki to feel frightened. 

 

"You have _such_ a mouth on you," Thor whispered, leaning in close to Loki's ear.  "Maybe I was too nice to you.  I should've shoved my cock down your throat more often, so you'd learn to be a little more respectful, huh?"

 

Loki couldn't say anything to that, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he was overwhelmed by the feeling of Thor's body around him and the way that Thor's breath against his ear made his body tremble.  It made him _want_.  And he was so mad at himself for still being able to be turned on, even though Thor was treating him like this.  He still wanted him.  He was still _hard_. 

 

And then Loki flinched and whimpered as he felt Thor's other hand, slick with the pungent-smelling oil, trail over his hip and across the curve of his ass until he felt it slip down between his cheeks, fingers prodding at his entrance

 

"Thor," Loki whined, trying to twist his body away. "D-don't-"

 

Even though Loki had watched him pour the oil on, even though his mind must've known at that point what Thor's intentions were, Loki was still taken by surprise that Thor really meant to _do_ this to him.  In his kitchen pantry.  With his father at home.  What was Thor _thinking_?  

 

But Thor seemed not to hear him, or not to _care_ , as Loki felt his finger push up against the tight muscle of his hole.  The pressure was insistent and unrelenting and Loki gasped as Thor's thick finger bullied its way inside. 

  

“Ah! W-wait.  Hurts, Thor,” Loki hissed, bringing his hands up to Thor’s chest again and pushing.  “It hurts.”

 

Thor had to suppress a groan as the boy’s tight channel clamped down around his finger like a vice.  Loki was so hot and soft inside.

 "Relax," he said, voice thick as he pressed his face into Loki's neck.  "You've done this before.  You'll get used to it." 

 

Loki whimpered as Thor's finger pressed deeper, opening him and stretching him.  Strangely, it felt better than the first time, the sharp burn going away much faster only leaving behind a somewhat pleasant throb.  Loki had been thinking of that day ever since, wondering to himself what it would feel like to have Thor touch him again.  But he had never imagined it'd be in a situation like _this_.  

 

He keened quietly as Thor slowly pumped his finger inside of him, sliding easily aided by the oil.  He couldn't stop himself from humping against Thor, spurred on by the feeling of Thor's hard cock pressed against the underside of his thigh.  Loki didn't want to show this side of himself to Thor, hating proving the man right, but he couldn't stop himself.  After only a few deep strokes he felt Thor's finger slip out of him, drawing an unbidden whimper of protest from Loki's lips, a noise that made him blush in embarrassment.  But it seemed Thor wasn't _abandoning_ him, as Loki had feared.  Instead, he felt Thor rub two of his fingers against his hole and Loki's eyes widened, fingers clenching on to Thor's shoulder in an attempt to dissuade him.

 

"I'm not ready for-" Loki started, but his voice was cut off as he felt the two thick digits push inside of him. 

 

He bit his lip to hold back his cry.  _That_ hurt.  Thor was stretching him far more than he had before and Loki felt his eyes water, unaccustomed to the tight fit and much sharper sting.  He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, letting out a choked sob as Thor's fingers sunk deeper in to him.  He couldn't help his whimper and quickly clamped his hand over his mouth to keep quiet, wondering how he could ever get used to feeling so uncomfortably full and somewhat horrified at the thought that Thor was _much_ bigger than his two fingers. 

 

But then Thor crooked his fingers a little, rubbing against something inside of him, and Loki felt like he was almost seeing stars.  A rather loud and throaty moan echoed from his throat, sounding alarmingly loud to Loki's own ears, causing him to clamp his other hand over the one already covering his mouth in the hopes to better muffle himself.  He blinked misty eyes open to look at Thor in wonder.  Thor only smirked back at him, a heated and predatory look in his eyes as he continued to pump his fingers inside of him at a torturously slow pace.  Loki panted and whimpered behind his hands, slowly getting used to the feeling of Thor's fingers inside of him.  And every time Thor was generous enough to brush against that bundle of nerves inside him, sending a delicious jolt of sensation throughout his body, Loki thrust his hips down to meet his fingers with even more enthusiasm. 

 

Thor's fingers started to pick up pace, twisting and plunging deep, and sometimes spreading apart, gaining tiny muffled gasps from Loki's covered mouth.  Thor leaned against Loki to bite and suck at his throat, and Loki vaguely wondered if that was such a good idea.  It might leave marks. But, somehow, Loki found himself wanting to see the evidence of Thor's kisses after this was over.   Loki found himself half-considering abandoning his commitment to keep quiet and moving his hands so he could kiss Thor.  He was so dizzy with pleasure he couldn't think straight.  

 

But then Loki heard his father's voice approaching and his blood went cold, all the haziness brought on by his pleasure evaporating like someone had thrown ice-water on him. 

 

"Loki!" Laufey called as he walked into the kitchen.  "I was thinking maybe we should do vodka sauce instead… Loki?" 

 

Loki looked at Thor, eyes wide and teary as he listened to his father rummage around the kitchen and mutter "where did that boy go?"  He assumed Thor would stop.  Laufey was _right in the kitchen_.  But instead, Thor smirked at him nastily and twisted his fingers again, bumping them right up against Loki's prostate.  Loki's eyes rolled back as he clamped his hand even tighter against his mouth and forced himself not to moan.  He could hear the sounds of his father in the kitchen, so  _close_ ,and he felt his face flush in shame at the thought that he might get caught. 

 

He listened as Laufey began rummaging around in the cabinets, opening the fridge and closing it.  It sounded like he was making himself a snack or something.  But all Loki wanted was for him to leave. It was torture.  He was torn between the sweet pleasure-pain of what Thor was doing to him and the overwhelming guilt and shame he felt at the idea that he was enjoying this, and letting this happen, while his father was just a few feet away. 

 

Loki felt tears well in his eyes, turning his head away from Thor, angry at him for putting him through this.  But it seemed like Thor didn't like the loss of eye contact, as his fingers picked up the pace, nudging Loki's prostate almost nonstop.  Loki grit his teeth, trying to fight against his urge to moan out loud, glaring at Thor and hating him all while wanting him not to stop.  His cock was rock hard.  Loki wanted to come.  But he didn't want to do that with his father on the other side of the door.

 

Then the sound of a ringtone cut through the tense silence. 

 

"Laufey," Laufey responded, somewhat tersely. It sounded like he was unhappy with whoever was calling. 

  
There was a pause as Laufey listened to whatever the person was saying on the phone before he let out a frustrated sigh. 

 

" _What_?  You want me to come in again? No, Pat.  Listen…" Laufey muttered angrily, voice growing momentarily louder as he walked past the pantry and then fainter as he made his way away from the kitchen.  

 

Loki let out an inaudible sigh of relief once he was sure his father was far away.  But that contentment only lasted a few seconds as he felt Thor's hot hand close around his cock.  Loki gasped, bucking up into Thor's hand as Thor began to stroke his straining erection.  And Thor's fingers within him didn't stop either, pressing against that spot inside of him until, only after three strokes of his cock, Loki's toes were curling and he was coming, groaning loudly behind his hands. 

 

Loki was only faintly aware of the sound of Thor's dark chuckle against his ear as the tremors of his orgasm rolled through his body.  Then Thor slowly pulled his fingers out of Loki's clenching hole, causing him to whine, and moved backward so that Loki was forced to stand on his wobbly legs. He watched hazy-eyed as Thor wiped his hands off on a dish towel that was hanging inside the pantry, speechless and mind absent of coherent thought, having trouble remembering even why he had been mad at Thor in the first place.   

 

“Now, on your knees,” Thor said as he stood in front of him and palmed at his very obvious erection through his jeans.  The tone in his voice left no room for argument. 

 

Biting his lip, Loki gave him a petulant look but slid to his knees anyway, knowing that there was no way he was getting out of this closet without sucking Thor off. As he settled on the ground, he winced uncomfortably.  His ass was throbbing, unused to the stretch and the uncomfortable feeling of being so open with nothing to fill him.

 

Thor smirked down at him.  Loki would almost say that he looked a bit proud, if that wasn't a completely insane thing to think of Thor.  Thor wasn't proud or pleased with him; Thor just wanted to humiliate him. 

 

Huffing, Loki reached forward and quickly undid the buckle of Thor's belt and tugged his zipper down.

 

"Eager, aren't we?" Thor asked as he placed his hand on top of Loki's dark head, running his fingers over the silky tresses.

 

"I just don't want my dad to come back in the kitchen and catch me in here _with you_ ," Loki said, as he glanced down, feeling his cheeks heat up.  "I want to get this over with."

 

He told himself he was going to be blasé about this.  Act as if Thor had no effect on him.  But when he tugged down Thor's jeans and underwear and watched Thor's big cock spring up, flushed and already dribbling pre-cum at the tip, he couldn't help but inhale and feel his stomach clench with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.  

 

Closing his eyes, Loki took a deep breath before he leaned forward, licking tentatively at the bulbous tip.  He still felt shy and inexperienced, but he couldn't stop the flutter of excitement in his chest when he heard Thor hiss with pleasure and felt his hand tighten in his hair. 

 

"I'm not going to go easy on you," Thor warned, as he began to rock his hips.

 

Loki frowned as he felt Thor's pre-come smear across his lips and looked up at him sardonically.

 

"You went easy the last time?" he asked flatly.

 

Thor only grinned down at him, something looking a bit wild in his eyes, and Loki suddenly found himself wondering if he would ever learn to keep his damn mouth shut. 

 

"Open up," Thor ordered, seeming in control but his voice sounded strained.

 

Loki closed his eyes again, and tried to relax as he opened his mouth and felt Thor's thick length slide past his lips.  His mouth immediately began to water as his lips were stretched and he felt the solid length push back against his throat. 

 

Thor sighed, hands moving down to cup Loki's jaw, and Loki steeled himself as Thor thrusted into his mouth at a steady pace.  He bumped against his throat, making Loki gag slightly, but he wasn't as rough as the first time.  He breathed through his nose, trying to suck and lick as best as he could, flushing as he heard the wet noises fill the space around them.  After a few moments, Loki had to pull back, gasping,  and looked up at Thor, making it clear that he needed a break.  Thor arched an eyebrow at him, expectant, and Loki leaned forward, using his tongue and hands to stroke at Thor's cock as he tried to catch his breath. 

 

Thor seemed content with that for awhile as he stared down at Loki.  The heavy hand on his head, tilting his face up just so made it obvious that he wanted Loki to maintain eye contact, and Loki forced himself to do it even though Thor's gaze on him made his entire body burn hot with shame.  He held Thor's eyes as he tongued and kissed at his tip, and Thor actually grinned down at him, making Loki's heart leap in his chest.  But Thor was soon moving Loki's hands away and angling his cock back into Loki's mouth, one hand on the back of his head to keep him in place.  He started thrusting again and Loki found himself somewhat content in letting Thor fuck his face, as long as he wasn't too rough.  Closing his eyes, Loki tried to relax his jaw and take as much of Thor as he could. 

 

But then he felt Thor's thumbs push into the corners of his mouth, spreading his lips even wider.  His eyes fluttered open as he looked up at Thor and let out a moan of protest, wondering how obscene he must look with his mouth stuffed full of cock.  But it seemed that Thor liked that, as his thrusts became harder and more insistent, pushing at the back of his throat, and Loki could already tell what Thor wanted.

 

"Shit," Thor said, voice strained. "Come on.  Finish me off.  Make it good for me."

 

Loki looked up at him, his displeasure clear on his face, but he didn't fight as he felt Thor push into the tightness of his throat.  His eyes watered and he clutched at the fabric of Thor's jeans as he forced himself to try to breathe through his nose.  One.  Two.  And then Thor was pulling back.  Loki took a deep gulping breath and then Thor was pushing in again.  He gagged, but Thor stayed in the tight clutch of his throat for a few seconds longer before pulling back.  Loki let out a wet sob around his cock and clutched tighter at Thor's jeans, hoping he would stop soon.     

 

"One more time baby. Open up, I'm almost there," Thor groaned. "You want to make me happy, don't you?  Make up for what you did today?" 

 

Loki let out a pitiful mewl but he opened wider, letting Thor in.  Thor pressed in one more time, pushing harder than Loki was used to but he pulled back almost as quick and with a hard grunt he was coming.  Loki squeezed his eyes shut as he felt Thor's come fill his mouth, flooding over his tongue and spilling down his throat.  He already knew he was expected to swallow and he gulped down as much as he could before pulling back to catch his breath, gasping and coughing.  Loki could hear Thor breathing hard too, but he recovered faster than Loki did, the sound of him zipping up his jeans and redoing his belt buckle filling the air.  

 

"Come on," Thor said, voice a bit breathy.   

 

He grabbed Loki by the arm and pulled him to his feet.  Loki groaned as he tried to adjust his clothing, tugging his shorts back up from where they had been left bunched up around his thighs.  He wiped at his eyes and face, trying to make himself as presentable as possible.  

 

Thor opened the pantry door a crack, poking his head out to make sure the coast was clear before he pushed it open wide and walked out, dragging Loki out behind him. 

 

Loki blinked under the harsh fluorescent lights of the kitchen, finding it all very sobering and suddenly very much aware that he had just allowed Thor to do something crazy to him.  

 

He watched with a frown as Thor leaned up against the kitchen island, smug look on his face, and seeming completely unaffected.  Like he hadn't just had his cock sucked by a teenager in a kitchen pantry. 

 

“Virgin, huh?” Thor said thoughtfully as he reached over to where Loki was standing across from him and wiped a stray trickle of his come from the corner of Loki’s lips. 

 

Flushing, Loki stepped back, distancing himself from Thor, and looked up at him with a glare.

 

“What of it?” Loki asked, the petulance clear in his voice, hating how he could already feel the soreness at the back of his throat. 

 

Lifting an eyebrow at him, Thor regarded Loki carefully, as if warning the boy not to let himself get too out of line.  They stared at each other for a few beats—Loki’s eyes wide but not looking like he was going to back down any time soon.  And then Thor shrugged his shoulders as he smirked amusedly before crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

“I'm just kind of surprised, is all,” Thor replied, that same smug look returning to his face.  

 

Loki’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, having trouble deciphering what Thor was getting at.

 

“It's not...  I’m _fifteen_.  Why is that _surprising_?” Loki asked, looking somewhat offended.

 

Thor chuckled.

 

“Well, _I’ve_ been fucking since I was 13,” Thor said, as if he was proud of himself.

 

Loki gave him a disgusted look, feeling his face flush in embarrassment.

 

“You and I live very different lives.  _Obviously_ ,” he said as he turned away from Thor and began rummaging for a glass.

 

It was odd to stand around and “chat” with Thor.  Especially after he had just swallowed down the man’s come.  Loki wasn’t sure if he could have a serious conversation—if that was what one could call whatever Thor was doing right now—when he could still _taste_ him on his tongue.  Or that he felt comfortable having it in his kitchen when anyone, from Thor's friends to Loki's father, could stroll by and overhear.  He also didn't like that he could _feel_ Thor's gaze on him from where he stood leaning against the counter.  He felt like he could smell and fell Thor all around him, and it was distracting.  He needed to rinse the taste of him out of his mouth. 

 

“It's not just that,” Thor continued, and Loki could sense that Thor was close again.  Not crowding him, like he had been in the pantry, but still close enough that Loki was acutely aware of his presence.  He could sense how big Thor was and it made him shudder involuntarily.

 

“There’s something about you…you have this vibe,” Thor said, and this time he _did_ get close, as he lifted a strand of Loki’s dark hair and ran it between his fingers.

 

“What “vibe,”” Loki snapped as he pulled away, hair sliding out from Thor’s grasp. 

 

Grumbling to himself as his hand closed around a glass, Loki turned on the tap and proceeded to fill the cup up, trying to ignore how… _weird_ Thor was being.  He was being predatory in a way Loki wasn’t used to.  Like he was suddenly interested in Loki.  Like he cared about what Loki had to say.  But Loki wasn’t foolish enough to think that that was Thor’s real purpose.  Thor always had an ulterior motive and Loki was sure he wasn't going to like what was going to come out of Thor's mouth. 

 

“A vibe like you need to be _fucked_ ,” Thor whispered.

 

And Loki jumped, feeling the words against his ear, his hand stilling as the water filled the cup and then _over-filled_ it.  Thor was right behind him.  Body not touching, but close enough that Loki could feel his _heat._ He whimpered. 

 

“Am I right?” Thor breathed.  "That's what you want, isn't it?"

 

Loki trembled as Thor got even closer.  His hands came around on either side of Loki’s waist.  He didn’t touch him.  In fact, one hand reached up to turn off the faucet.  But, Loki couldn’t help his eyes from slipping closed and his body from tensing.  He fought against the urge to lean back against Thor’s broad chest.  That’s what his _body_ wanted, but Loki’s mind knew better than to do _that_.  He couldn’t let Thor see how weak he made him.

 

“I know I'm right,” Thor continued after he realized Loki was in no condition to respond.  Loki could even hear the smirk in the man’s voice and he decided he’d be better off keeping his eyes shut.  Seeing that smug look on Thor’s face would ruin him.

 

“You've got that look about you,” Thor said, voice soft and deep against the shell of Loki’s ear. “Everyone can see it.  I bet even _Steve_ could see it too."

 

His voice changed a bit at the mention of Steve's name, but Thor continued as if it was a non-issue.   

 

"You've got these big eyes that try to play innocent, but really, you want someone to show you what life’s really like outside of your clean and perfect world.  You want someone to dirty you up,” he whispered. 

 

Loki trembled at Thor's words, almost dropping the glass he was holding down into the sink.  Thor moaned and Loki bit his lip.  With one hand Thor grabbed the glass out of his hand and set it on the counter.  With the other he let the tips of his fingers brush lightly over Loki’s bottom lip, before pulling them away. 

 

“And you talk back to people with that pretty little mouth of yours, when you know you really shouldn’t.  You know it gets you in trouble.  But you’ve been waiting all this time for someone to come and shut you up, haven’t you?  You act big and tough because you need someone to teach you that you’re not.  You want someone to push you down and dominate you, don’t you?” Thor asked.   

 

“Th-that’s not true,” Loki managed to say, forcing his eyes to flutter open.  

 

“Oh yeah?  Then why do you get so hard whenever I touch you?  Why do you moan like a whore who can’t wait to be spread open and used?” Thor asked.

 

Loki bit his lip to try to stop just such a moan from slipping past his lips. 

 

“I know you want me to fuck you, Loki.  You can whine and deny it all you want, but your body doesn’t lie.  And the more you try to pretend like it’s not what you want, the more you make a fool out of yourself,” Thor said, stroking at a strand of hair again.

 

Loki couldn’t help the flush that jumped to his cheeks.  He knew that, on some level, Thor was right.  Loki would never— _never_ —admit it to Thor's face.  But, he did think about Thor fucking him.  To Loki, at this point, it was almost an inevitability.  Not “if” it would happen, but _when_.  Somehow, not knowing when Thor would decide to take him was part of the appeal to him. It was _exhilarating._  And it made Loki’s body thrum with excitement.  The tension.  The danger of getting caught. The feeling of doing something wrong, dirty, bad, _naughty_.  It made his toes curl and his mouth water.  These were all the deep dirty secrets Loki kept to himself.  The things he would never tell another person.  And the fact that Thor wanted to do them all—without Loki even needing to ask—made Loki almost dizzy with desire. 

 

But that was completely separate from what Loki thought about it _practically_.  His body might want Thor to push him down and fuck him; it was a fantasy Loki had entertained often.  But Loki figured his hormones were probably addling his sense of judgment.  That was a fantasy, and in fantasy-world, things were rosy and passionate and there were no consequences.  In reality, Loki was nervous about the idea of Thor fucking him.  For one, he had no idea how to do it, or what it would feel like.  It would be his first time, and he was sure that whenever Thor did decide to take him it would be hard and rough. 

 

But that didn’t stop Loki from getting hard whenever he thought about it. Loki was pretty convinced that he must be sick.  Something _must_ be wrong with him to desire being mistreated that way.  And especially to desire it from someone like _Thor_.  A person who Loki probably would never have spoken to if the man hadn’t been plopped into his life through coincidental means.  Loki surely would’ve _looked_ at Thor if he had seen him around town or in passing.  Thor was Loki’s type—big and strong, cocky and assured; confident that if he demanded something he would always get it.  But that didn’t mean Loki would’ve ever _talked_ to him.  He wouldn’t have had the nerve.  But, now, he was being caged in by this big man in his kitchen.  A man who had no business sniffing around a fifteen-year-old.  And all he wanted to do was give in.  But he couldn't. If he did, Thor would win.  Loki didn't know what exactly it was that he would win, but he just knew he couldn't let him. 

 

“No, I _don’t_ like it,” Loki forced himself to say, gritting his teeth and tensing his body.  “I hate it, actually.  I’m only doing it because you’re forcing me.  Because y-you _threatened_ me.  I would never… I'd never let you touch me otherwise.”

 

“Oh, is that so?” Thor asked, expression going dark.

 

“Yes,” Loki said as he looked away.

 

“Huh.  Good to know,” Thor said simply as he pushed away from Loki.

 

Loki looked up in surprise, shocked by the instant loss of Thor's heat and presence around him. 

 

Thor looked at him, eyes unreadable and mouth pressed into a thin line. He then walked around Loki and out the back door.  And Loki was left there, staring after him, mouth slightly agape, feeling as if he had done something very stupid. 

* * *

A/N: Ok.  Whew! One more chapter down! I hope you liked this and all the crazy inner-Loki angst. Haha. Loki sucks at being honest with himself, and we'll see where that lands him :3.  I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this chapter!  Also, I really rushed to post it so I hope there aren't any errors.  Next chapter actually might not be very porny at all (O_O), but the chapter after _that_ … well, I think it might be nothing but smut ;p. 

 

See you next time! (Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/laydee-liesmith)!)

_xoxo_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So so sorry it took so long to get this out!  On top of being super busy with school, this chapter was one of those hump chapters. I feel like in every fic there’s one chapter that’s just like an uphill battle and it is a _struggle_ for me to complete it.  But, hopefully after this one, things’ll flow much smoother!  Thanks for all the lovely comments and for being so patient in waiting! :D

 

Also, it looks like Tony and Bruce have now wormed their way into this fic (as supporting characters).  Wasn’t really planning on all these cameos, but I had a fun time writing Tony-banter, haha!

 

I also want to give a shout-out to my new beta Sarah, thanks for your tireless back and forth email-brainstorming :)

 

xoxo

* * *

Loki was going stir-crazy.  Thor had resumed his usual schedule, showing up at Loki’s house every day.  It should have felt better than the prior week when Thor was missing and Loki found himself obsessing over the older man’s whereabouts.  But even though Thor was a constant presence—albeit strolling in late in the morning most of the time—it felt like Thor was miles away; unreachable; untouchable.  Thor was _ignoring_ him. 

 

Loki had gone to the pool two days ago (even though it really wasn’t all that hot out) in the hope that maybe Thor would follow him.  His heart had hammered in his chest like a beating drum as he imagined what Thor would do.  His imagination filled itself with thoughts of Thor sneaking up behind him, covering him with his body, and pressing his mouth against his, coaxing out moans and sighs.  His mind also strayed to darker thoughts; of Thor grabbing him, pushing him up against a wall, and _taking_ whatever he wanted from him. Both thoughts had Loki dizzy with desire.  He realized that, even if it meant Thor would approach him, angry and forceful, Loki still found himself preferring that kind of attention to none at all.  But Thor never came and Loki had left the pool two hours later, dry as a bone, and feeling utterly rejected. 

 

He couldn’t even jerk off like he used to anymore.  Anytime he tried to touch himself, he felt unsatisfied, realizing that he liked the rough calloused feel of Thor’s much larger hands on his skin better than the now too familiar feel of his own hand.  He found himself missing the smell of him, the almost suffocating heat as Thor crowded up against him. He missed the dirty things Thor would whisper in his ear.  The way Thor’s electric blue eyes reflected a myriad of things; mischief, raw lust, a hint of cruelty mixed with a hint of infatuation, and that always present sense of entitlement.  The look in Thor’s eyes always told Loki that he was _Thor’s_ ; that Thor was touching him like that—using him like that—because he already owned Loki.  That he could do anything to Loki and Loki had no say about it. 

 

And thinking thoughts like that would often be good enough to have Loki gasping and rocking himself into his hand, desperately trying to recreate the exquisiteness of Thor’s touch.  Because Loki _liked_ it. 

 

Regardless of what he had told Thor the las time they spoke, Loki liked the way Thor seemed to have eyes for nothing else but him whenever they encountered each other.  He had never felt attention like that.  He had never been _wanted_ like that.  And that was why the lack of that heavy gaze on him now made Loki feel raw and abandoned.  It was cruel of Thor to have given him that delicious, thrilling feeling of being desired, and then so abruptly take it away.  Loki couldn’t admit it to himself, but he wanted it back.   

 

So Loki had stayed home for four days, trying, subtly, to get Thor’s attention.   But while Volstagg, Fandral, and even Hogun, once or twice, would greet Loki when they saw him, Thor was noticeably quite silent.  Loki would watch him out of the corner of his eye when he brought out drinks or midday snacks to the laboring men.  While the others would stop what they were doing, grateful for the break, and gather around Loki, Thor never approached the group, conveniently needing to take a phone call or ‘finish up’ sawing a piece of lumber or measuring dimensions. 

 

Once Fandral had even jokingly commented on it, saying that Thor must be playing hard to get, but Thor hadn’t even raised his head from its position bowed over the worktable, eyes obscured by his sunglasses.  Loki had flushed, quite convinced himself that Thor was giving him a purposeful cold shoulder.  But instead of feeling vindicated, he had only felt the unpleasant sensation of his stomach clenching in worry.  Because Thor had seemed so _indifferent_.  His thick blonde brows had been drawn down behind his shades, but instead of seeming to indicate that Thor had been annoyed by the jibe, it looked like he was just concentrating on his work. It had sent a pang of ‘something’ through Loki’s gut to know that Thor couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge him. 

 

By the middle of that fourth day, Loki had decided that staying home was quite possibly the worst idea for his sanity.  He had come to this realization while wistfully staring at Thor from his bedroom window.  When his father had walked by his open door and jokingly remarked that Loki was sighing like some lovelorn maiden, Loki had immediately pushed himself away from the window ledge, blush high on his cheeks, and slipped on his sneakers. Laufey could only raise an eyebrow in question when Loki pushed past him, mumbling ‘Library,’ before he ran down the stairs.

 

Making sure to grab his keys, and tuck his cellphone into his back-pocket, Loki made his way through the house and out the back door.  Head tucked down, and cheeks still burning with embarrassment, Loki didn’t spare any of the work crew a moment’s glance as he rushed through the yard and out the back gate.  He didn’t notice the way Thor raised his head and followed him with his eyes, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips.

* * *

Once Loki was out of the house and able to take his mind off of Thor, he realized that going to the library was probably actually a good idea.  He hadn’t spoken to Steve again since their awkward run-in with Thor outside of the ice-cream shop.  He felt like he owed Steve a proper apology.  He didn’t quite know what he’d say to explain the strange atmosphere that had existed between him and Thor, but Loki still didn’t want to lose the friend he had made in the caring older man.  If anything, he at least wanted to properly thank Steve for treating him to lunch and ice cream, even _if_ Thor’s appearance had practically ruined their day.   

 

Walking into the library, Loki suddenly felt at peace.  It was cool and quiet, illuminated by the early afternoon light.  He walked between the rows of tables as he made his way toward the circulation desk.  He knew Steve was working today—it was a Monday; Steve was _always_ here on Mondays—but as he approached he didn’t see the tall blonde at his usual post.  In fact, the desk was deserted.  There weren’t very many people in the library that day (it was the middle of the summer, after all), and Loki figured Steve was probably using the downtime to do some restocking or paperwork in the back room.  In fact, the only people Loki saw were two older boys huddled at the table closest to the circulation desk. 

 

One boy, sporting wire-rimmed glasses and fluffy-looking dark hair, was typing furiously at a laptop, brows furrowed and clearly in deep-concentration.  The other boy, who had dark, overly-coiffed hair and a pristinely-trimmed goatee, looked far less studious, leaned back in his seat with one leg propped up on the table as he played on what looked to be a very expensive smartphone.  Loki would have assumed the two boys were from completely different worlds, if they weren’t sitting so close together and if the flashier-looking one with the goatee didn’t have an arm casually slung across the back of the hard-worker’s chair.

 

Loki thought he would be able to make his way past them without gaining their attention, but the bored-looking one was apparently more astute than Loki had given him credit for and as soon as Loki was within a foot of the table, the boy’s eyes darted up and gave him a quick once over, eyes roving up and down his body.  Loki bristled when the boy raised a mildly-curious eyebrow at him but then just as quickly went back to what he was doing on his phone.  As if Loki wasn’t even worth his attention.

 

Huffing as he rolled his eyes, Loki continued his pace to the circulation desk and tapped the small bell, hoping that Steve would return soon and he could get out of there.  He did _not_ play well with others and he was already prickled that he had been dismissed so thoroughly by the posh-looking kid.  However, contrary to his initial conclusion of dismissal, apparently Loki _had_ gained the older boy’s attention.

 

“Look, Brucie, there actually _is_ somebody else who is as big a nerd as you are,” Loki heard from behind him.

 

Frowning, he glanced around.  There literally was _no one_ else on the main floor of the library.  The boy could not have been talking about his friend, “Brucie,” so that only left _Loki_ as the subject of his jibe.

 

“ _Excuse me_?” Loki asked as he turned fully around, eyebrows drawn and green eyes flashing. 

 

“Well, come on,” the smug looking boy said as he smirked at Loki. “It’s the middle of the summer, kid.  Why’re you in the _library_?  I mean, Bruce here thinks he’s going to be the next great nuclear physicist and actually wants to waste his summer applying for research grants.  But, you don’t look the quantum-physics type _so_ … what’s your excuse?  Ain’t got no friends, new kid?” 

 

Loki couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy.  He didn’t even _know_ him, so what right did he have to talk to him like that?  It was obvious this boy was used to saying outlandish and presumptuous things and getting away with it.  On top of that, Loki was quite floored by how he had been able to fit so many insults in to such a short diatribe.  Loki could already feel his hackles rising.  He hadn’t gotten into a good verbal fight with another person in a _long_ time, and he had a lot of pent up frustration to let off.

 

“If you haven’t noticed, you’re _also_ at the library during summer break.  What’s _your_ excuse?” Loki snapped. “Too maladjusted to find other people that actually _want_ to hang out with you?

 

The boy laughed.

“Oh, ho!  So the little kitten has claws, huh?  Sorry to disappoint you, kid, but I do quite alright in the popularity area.  I’m really just here for the eye-candy,” he said with a big grin as he waggled his eyebrows. 

 

“Tony!” the other boy admonished, finally speaking up, as he turned toward Loki’s antagonist.

 

“What?” Tony said as he leaned back.  “It’s the _truth_.  It’s not like I’m here to do “research.”  Who the heck uses libraries anymore anyway?”

 

Loki was confused.

 

 _‘Eye candy?’_ he wondered to himself.  He could see no other patrons in the library.  Other than staff, the place was empty.  And, then, as soon as the thought crossed his mind Loki gasped.

 

“Do you mean _Steve_?” he asked incredulously. 

 

Loki thought he saw Tony’s expression darken slightly, but the older boy maintained his nonchalant smirk.

 

“You see anyone else here who’d qualify as eye-candy?” Tony asked.

 

And then he glanced at his bespectacled friend who had, by this point, already turned his attention back to his computer screen.

 

“No offense, Bruce,” Tony said.

 

Bruce rolled his eyes without even bothering to look at Tony.

 

“ _None_ taken.  I’m actually quite happy to _not_ have to be the object of your affections,” Bruce responded.

 

“Well, don’t speak too soon, Brucie.  Your time may yet come,” Tony said as he nudged him and made eyes at him.  Bruce pointedly ignored him.

 

Loki was flabbergasted watching the exchange between the boys, who he had pieced together were named ‘Tony’ and ‘Bruce.’  He was taken aback that Tony was so casual about his interest in Steve.  Granted, Loki could already tell the guy would most likely grate on his nerves, but that didn’t stop him from respecting the fact that he could be so _honest_ with his feelings. 

 

It seemed like this Tony character threw caution to the wind, as if consequences and proprieties didn’t matter.  Aside from the fact that Steve was a _guy_ (which clearly didn’t seem to bother Tony), Tony looked to be in his late teens—18 _max_.  Steve was most likely at least ten years older than him.  Loki highly doubted Steve returned the brazen boy’s affections.  But did Tony really not _care_ what others would think about him when he so openly boasted his affections? 

 

“Um…but... isn’t Steve… you know… a little _old_ for you?” Loki piped up, his hesitant voice breaking into Tony’s teasing of his friend.

 

Tony stared at him for a moment, as if confused by the question.  Then he laughed, throwing back his head as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.  Loki frowned, not liking how much the other boy was having fun at his expense.

 

“You sound like some virginal little lamb, kid,” Tony said. “He’s ‘too old for me?’  Who thinks about stuff like that?  Hot is hot.  Besides, I’m 17. I practically don’t even qualify as jail-bait anymore.  I thought the bigger issue you’d be concerned about is the fact that the sexy librarian I’ve got the hots for just so happens to be a _guy_ , but seeing as you didn’t, I can only conclude you’re probably batting for the same team, huh?”

 

Loki blushed up to his roots.

 

“Y-you can’t _conclude_ anything,” Loki said.

 

“ _Tony_ ,” Bruce said with a sigh as he pulled off his glasses and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.  “Can you leave—”

 

Bruce trailed off and looked up at Loki, as if just realizing they had been talking to him for the past five minutes without even knowing his name.

 

“Um… and you are?” Bruce asked, looking at Loki apologetically as he reached his hand out.

 

Loki wasn’t used to kids his age “shaking hands,” but he quickly reached out to grab Bruce’s, if out of decorum more than anything else.

 

“Uh...I’m Loki,” he said.

 

“Bruce,” Bruce said as he nodded before turning back to Tony.  “Tony, can you leave _Loki_ alone?  He might be new, but that doesn’t mean he has to put up with your nonsense.”

 

“How come you guys know I’m new?” Loki wondered.

 

Tony rolled his eyes dramatically, as if exasperated with Loki, and Loki shot an annoyed glare in his direction.

 

“This is small-town America, kid,” Tony said, seemingly disinterested in using Loki’s actual name. “Everybody knows everybody.  We all know you moved in here a few weeks ago.  Your house is the one over on Osage getting all that construction, right?”

 

Loki nodded dumbly.  He had never seen these two guys before, but apparently they—and whoever else “we all” referred to—had seen _him_. 

 

“Oh!  Wait, who’s doing the construction?” Tony asked, eyes lighting up, as if Loki was suddenly interesting to him.

 

Loki blanched, wondering if there was some ulterior motive behind his question.  It was too much of a coincidence that Tony had honed in on the _one_ topic that had been the center of Loki’s attention the whole summer.    

 

“Uh… a company called B-Borson, I think,” Loki muttered dropping his eyes to the ground.

 

“Oh, _shiiiitttt_ ,” Tony said in such a high, excited voice, that Loki couldn’t help but cringe.  Even though it was empty, they were still in a _library_ , which Tony seemed to have no respect for.

 

“You know that guy Thor’s practically a criminal,” Tony said, looking conspiratorial, as if he couldn’t wait to dish some juicy gossip.

 

“ _Tony_!” Bruce chastised again, seeming to be uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was taking.

 

Loki had so many questions.  There might be some benefit in talking to these boys.  But he didn’t want to give himself away by appearing _too_ interested.

 

“Um, who?” Loki asked, feigning ignorance.

 

Tony gave him a strange look.

 

“ _Thor._ The 6’4” blonde beefcake with bulging muscles who looks like he could be a Norse god,” Tony stated flatly.  “You’d have to be _blind_ not to have noticed him.  Unless he’s not working on this project…?”

 

Loki felt like he had just drawn attention to himself, instead of deflecting it.

 

“Oh… oh yeah,” he fumbled over his words. “Yeah I’ve seen him.  He’s working on the project too, but I don’t… I haven’t really _talked_ to him.”

 

Loki felt his face burning the more he talked.  ‘Haven’t talked to him,’ was the lie of the century. He had talked to him, kissed him, and even sucked his cock. 

 

Tony rolled his eyes and scoffed.

 

“You might not have _talked_ to him, but you’ve _definitely_ checked him out.  You’re bright red, kid.  It’s okay, though.  I think everyone in town can collectively agree that Thor Borson was blessed with some damn good genes.  But…I wasn’t kidding when I said he’s a criminal. He’s pretty much bad news. Kind of like a ‘look but don’t touch’ situation there…. Unless, I guess, if you’re into the _sociopath_ type,” Tony said with a laugh. 

 

Loki frowned. He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from asking Tony if he thought Steve was interested in the _narcissist_ type, because Tony was a textbook example. But he calmed himself down, wondering why he suddenly felt such an urge to stand up for _Thor_ of all people.  Thor hadn’t done anything to deserve Loki defending him.  Nor had he done anything that would help Loki be able to refute the accusations Tony was making.  But, still, Loki didn’t like to hear the older boy say those things about him.

 

“You seem to know a lot about him, for someone you seem to think is ‘bad news,’” Loki said instead, tone snippy. 

 

Even Bruce glanced up at that, giving Loki a curious look.   And Loki couldn’t help but flush more, averting his eyes.   

 

Tony laughed again.

 

“Like I said, Thor’s _attractive_.  And I’m an equal opportunity business, so of course I’d take notice of him.  But he’s really not my type.  I kind of like to be the one pursuing, if you know what I mean,” Tony said as he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

 

Loki frowned, confused.

 

“No, what do you mean?” he asked.

 

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes, smiling.

 

“I like to _top_ , kid, and I’m 100% sure Thor Borson’s not about to bend over for me,” Tony said matter-of-factly. 

 

Loki blushed once the words had left Tony’s mouth, now immediately understanding what Tony had been insinuating. 

 

“For the love of _God_ , Tony!” Bruce said as he elbowed him.  “We’re in public, or did you forget that?”

 

“What?? We’re in a place of learning, and Loki here apparently needed an ‘education,’” Tony said, trying to hold back his laugh. 

 

“But, in all honesty.  Thor might be the kind of guy I’d _conside_ r bottoming for, but he’s a little too scary for me.  I’ve only talked to him a couple of times and he and his friends really gave me the vibe that they’d be more than happy to put a bullet between my eyes just to shut me up,” Tony said as he mock shuddered. “I’m sure _I’m_ not Thor’s type either.  Which is fine by me. Captain Rogers has basically been the focus of my attention for _months_ now.”

 

“But…” Tony trailed off as he looked Loki up and down again, this time seeming to take a closer look. “I feel like _you’d_ be just Thor’s type.”

 

Loki’s brows furrowed, perplexed by that and wanting to ask more questions, but the words died on his tongue when the sound of the door to the office behind the circulation desk creaked open. All three boys turned in the direction of the sound, and were met with the surprised face of Steve Rogers.

 

“Loki!” Steve said, face lighting up with a smile as he moved from behind the counter.  “When did you get here?”

 

“Uh… I dunno, just like a few minutes ago.  I hit the bell but there was no response,” Loki explained.

 

Steve frowned.

 

“ _Tony_ ,” he chastised as he glanced at the unapologetic-looking teen. “I told you I was going down in to the archives and to let me know if anyone came into the library!”

 

“I had to scope him out first to see if he was a threat. I wasn’t just going to lead someone to you if they were competing with me for your affections,” Tony said as he grinned up at him.

 

Steve blushed.  He actually blushed, and Loki had to bite his tongue to stop from letting out a snort of laughter.  This was a side of Steve he had never seen before.

 

“God,” Steve said in a huff as he turned away from Tony and back to Loki. “Please ignore him.  He’s the bane of my existence.  The summer has been pretty peaceful since he’s been away at his family’s vacation home, but now Tony Stark is back and my headaches have returned with him.” 

 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tony said, feigning insult.  “You know you’ve missed me!  You wouldn’t have responded to all my texts if you thought I was the so-called ‘bane’ of your existence, would you?”

 

Loki glanced between the two and watched as Tony smirked at Steve with a mischievous glint in his eyes and wondered what the extent of their relationship really was.  He couldn’t quite figure out if Steve was putting up with Tony as an annoying younger brother type, or if maybe there was something more there. 

 

“Well, when you text me nonstop until I respond I don’t have much choice, do I, if I plan to ever get any sleep, let alone any _work_ done?  I also regret ever letting you _have_ my phone number,” Steve murmured. 

 

“Technically you didn’t actually _give_ it to him,” Bruce piped up, attention still on the screen in front of him as he typed methodically.  “He helped himself to it that time you asked him for help with setting up your smartphone.”

 

Steve frowned as he trained his blue eyes on Tony.

 

“Now that you remind me of _that_ , I’m half tempted to ask you guys to find a different library,” Steve said as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. It seemed like the whole conversation was giving him a headache.

 

“Aww, don’t be mean,” Tony whined.  “If we couldn’t come here, where would Bruce go to be boring and extra-studious?”

 

“Are you guys working on summer research projects?  Do they make the students do things like that at this high school?” Loki interjected.

 

Tony laughed, in that smug-sounding way that Loki was beginning to hate. 

 

“What’s so funny about _that_?” Loki asked. 

 

“That you think we’re in _high school_ ,” Tony said, grinning at him.

 

Loki’s brows furrowed in confusion and Steve let out a loud sigh.

 

“Ignore Tony.  He seems to forget that his lifestyle isn’t the norm.  Even though they’re only 17 and 18, both Bruce and Tony already have college degrees,” Steve explained.

 

Eyes widening, Loki stared at the two seemingly innocuous teens. 

 

“But… What?  I don’t get it…” Loki said.

 

“We’re this town’s resident geniuses.  Well…I’m more genius-y than Bruce, but who’s counting?” Tony said, grinning widely.   

 

Bruce rolled his eyes.

 

“Although Tony and I graduated high school in the same year, Tony seems to think that because he was 13 at the time, whereas I was 14 and a half, that that that somehow means he is entitled to call himself some kind of more superior genius,” Bruce explained.

 

“I mean, duh, how else does it work?? I’m younger than you, but I graduated high school _and_ college at the same time you did, so, by definition, I’m _smarter_ ,” Tony said, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Get your PhD before me and we’ll talk,” Bruce said back.

 

Tony pouted.

 

“They just make you go through so many _requirements_ before they’ll give you the stupid degree.  It’s like they _know_ I’m smarter than all the faculty they have there.  So what if I won’t hand in a stupid thesis,” Tony griped.

 

“You can’t get your degree if you don’t write a dissertation and you can’t write your dissertation if you don’t write a thesis.  And you’ve been told numerous times already that you can’t write a thesis if you don’t even do _research_ Tony,” Bruce explained as he pointed at his computer screen, pointing to said research. 

 

“And this is what I deal with for the entire day when these two are around,” Steve said as he turned to Loki and gave him a pitiful look.  “I really would probably ask them to leave if I didn’t know that Bruce was _actually_ doing research and working on his thesis proposal.”

 

Loki smiled.  It seemed, no matter how put out Steve appeared to be, that he actually kind of enjoyed Tony and Bruce’s company. And Loki could tell that while Tony was probably exhausting to deal with, Bruce and Steve seemed more than capable to keep him in line. 

 

“But, let’s not let them get us too distracted,” Steve said.  “Did you come for anything in particular?  I don’t think any of the books you took out last time are due for at least another two weeks or so.”

 

Loki flushed, being immediately reminded about why he had come here in the first place.  Listening to Tony banter back and forth with Steve and Bruce had distracted him.  But now that Steve had asked about it, Loki was immediately reminded about Thor, and the ‘incident’ on the street.

 

“Oh… Ah… Well, I just… Well after the last time we kind of got interrupted after lunch, I just wanted to-” Loki began, before he was abruptly interrupted.  

 

“Lunch?” Tony asked, butting into their conversation. “You two _lunch_ together?”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. He could see the way Tony was looking at him distrustfully, but it was so ridiculous that Loki could do little more than ignore him.  If Tony knew anything he would know he wouldn’t have to worry about Loki interfering with his little crush on Steve.  Loki had his own big blonde to worry about, and Thor was a much more concerning problem than Steve could ever be. 

 

“And I didn’t get to properly say thanks and apologize for all that craziness,” Loki continued.

 

Steve shrugged and smiled, but it seemed like he had become a little more somber.

 

“Don’t worry about that.  I mean… yeah, it was a surprise.  I didn’t think you knew Thor, so it kind of threw me for a loop.  Plus he’s kind of an intense guy, so things can often get…a little crazy when he’s involved.  But… well, what can you do, you know?  I had a good time and if you ever want to try to meet up for lunch again, I’ll be more than happy.  We can discuss that new fantasy book I recommended you read,” Steve said enthusiastically.

 

Loki’s ears burned when Steve mentioned Thor’s name. He could feel Tony’s eyes on him like lasers, but he forced himself not to look at Tony as he nodded in agreement to Steve’s statements.

 

“Ok, well I need to get back to my filing in the archives.  It’s rare that there aren’t a lot of patrons, and I need to take advantage of the lull. Give me a holler if you need something and can’t find it,” Steve said. 

 

Loki nodded.

 

“And, you guys,” Steve said as he turned to Tony and Bruce, voice already sounding scolding.  “Can you _please_ remember to let me know if someone comes in?”

 

“Don’t worry sweet-cheeks, I’ll come down and get you personally if someone needs you.  And, who knows, we can even play naughty librarian for a little bit while we’re down there,” Tony suggested with a grin.

 

Steve rolled his eyes and let out an audible ‘ugh,’ before he turned on his heels and headed back into the office.

 

“So… ‘I don’t talk to Thor much,’ huh?” was the first thing out of Tony’s mouth once Steve was out of earshot.

 

Loki immediately cursed his fair skin as he felt his face heat up to uncomfortable levels. 

 

“I-!  I need to get going,” Loki said as he began to turn away from them, dead set on beating a quick retreat back home.  Hopefully no one would be around and he could die of mortification in peace.

 

 “Hey, hey!  Slow down there.  Gimme your phone for a sec,” Tony said as he held his hand out expectantly.

 

“What? _Why_?” Loki asked, his face twisting into a look that clearly showed what he thought about Tony’s demand.

 

Tony rolled his eyes again and sighed loudly.

 

“ _Because_ I’m gonna exchange numbers with you, so that I’ll have it in case I ever wanna talk to you.  You know, if I get bored enough that is,” Tony said with a shrug.  

 

Loki frowned.  He kind of liked the idea of having some more people to hang out with, but he hated how Tony made it sound like he was doing him a _favor_.

 

But then Bruce looked up, and cleared his throat.  Loki glanced over to him to see him smiling.

 

“Don’t worry, Loki, I’m well-versed in interpreting the language of “Stark.”  What Tony is _really_ trying to say is that he had fun talking with you today and he’d like to get to know you better.  So you two should really exchange numbers.  Plus, even if you get to learn that your initial assessment of the fact that he’s a jerk was probably right, Tony’s house has all the latest tech and a killer movie collection, so at least it’ll be somewhere fun to hang out for the summer,” Bruce said with a grin.

 

Tony pouted, but he didn’t say anything to refute Bruce’s assertions.  Loki let out a small huff of laughter, figuring that was the closest thing to a concession that he was going to get from “Tony Stark.”

 

“Ok, we can exchange numbers but I’m _not_ letting you touch my phone,” Loki said, smirking. 

* * *

When Loki returned home he felt leaps and bounds better than when he had left.  Tony Stark was a force to be reckoned with, but arguing with him had reminded Loki of the way he used to get into ceaseless petty tiffs with Amora back home.  They would squawk at each other like an old married couple, his friend Sigyn had once said to him, but would make up and go right back to being partners in crime by the end of the day.  They were fiercely protective of each other, and Loki missed having that type of strong support system.  It made him nostalgic, but it also made him imagine that maybe he could actually find a place for himself here. 

 

And he knew he had to start to try to immerse himself, in some way, into this new environment. It wasn’t like he had any good excuses to remain at home.  Even though there was constant activity, between the workers in his yard and his father perpetually pacing back and forth through the house yelling on his phone, Loki found himself feeling more and more lonely at home.  And even today, he had yet again been shown that he wasn’t a priority.  While exchanging numbers with Tony, Loki had seen that he had missed a call and a text from his father, telling him that he had been called into the office (yet again), and he wouldn’t be back when Loki got in.

 

Huffing to himself as he walked into the kitchen, Loki didn’t know what to think about the situation with his father.  He had actually been excited to tell Laufey that he had made some new friends.  Excited like a little kid would be to run home and show off a stellar report card.  It was stupid, Loki knew, but he felt like he owed it to his father to show that he was getting adjusted to their new life. 

 

He had been quite impossible in the weeks leading up to their move, fighting with his father day in and day out, saying hurtful and spiteful things, and even “running away” for a night (he had just gone over to Sigyn’s) in a show of protest.  He had finally begrudgingly given in when he realized that nothing was going to stop the move and he could see that the whole ordeal was becoming stressful on Laufey.   Loki only had one parent left, and he knew he had to cherish that.  All their disagreements and differences aside, Loki appreciated his father. 

 

Sighing, Loki stilled as he came to a stop in front of the large window over the kitchen sink that looked out onto the backyard.  The sun was high in the sky and he could see sweat glistening off of the three workers as they moved around the yard, appearing to be finishing up for the day. Noticeably missing was Thor, and Loki felt a small pang of longing.  It was nearing the end of their shift, and Loki assumed Thor had cut out early.  Another day had gone by without Thor acknowledging him, and as Loki thought about it he closed his eyes and turned away from the window, leaning his hip against the sink. 

 

This was really it; it was final.  He had pissed Thor off.  He had insulted him.  And the repercussion was that Thor had lost interest.  His indifference made it clear that he didn’t want Loki as badly as Loki wanted him.  While Loki was standing here practically pining, Thor acted as if nothing had ever existed between them.  It was like Thor was completely unaffected.  Was he really of such little consequence to Thor? 

 

One part of Loki was angry.  Where did Thor get off touching him, and teasing him, and getting him so worked up, only to drop him like a bag of bricks?   Loki wanted to give him a piece of his mind—a tongue-lashing to end all tongue-lashings.  But the other part of him (a part he was really trying to ignore) was wondering what he could do to get Thor _back_.  This small part of him imagined himself doing _anything_ , maybe even groveling, just to feel the man’s big warm hands on his back or the feel of his lips on his neck. 

 

Loki knew that, to a certain extent, he had only had himself to blame for his current situation.  He just couldn’t be honest.  It wasn’t in his nature.  There was no way he would’ve _told_ Thor that he liked some of the things the man did to him. Just the thought of that made his cheeks flame and his stomach twist.  But wasn’t it okay sometimes to play hard to get, to be a little coy? 

 

And it wasn’t like Thor had given him any reason to want to _be_ honest.  Thor was rarely nice to him.  Loki had no idea if this was just some game for Thor, or if Thor actually liked him. Why should Loki be the one to have to say how he felt, while Thor was entitled to just smirk and lord it over him?  What if Loki admitted to wanting Thor, and Thor just laughed in his face?  Loki wasn’t sur he’d ever be able to live that down. 

 

However… For whatever it was worth, Loki _was_ at least somewhat confident that Thor was attracted to him.  He knew because he could _tell_ that he turned Thor on.  There was no way to ignore the feel of Thor’s sizeable cock pressing up against him.  And Loki had personally felt the weight of it on his tongue, the girth of it stretching his mouth.  Just thinking about it made Loki’s body pulse with heat.  And even though Loki was far more inexperienced than Thor would probably ever want, Thor always moaned, his breath always quickened, and his pupils were always blown wide whenever Loki touched him.  He couldn’t be faking _that_. 

 

But Thor was all around bad news.  Even if Loki could hang his hat on the fact that Thor was at least physically attracted to him, it was obvious Thor still had the upper hand.  Because when Thor was around Loki, Loki’s mind went to mush.  He didn’t make good decisions.  He never said _no,_ even though he knew he probably should.  Loki didn’t consider himself a kid, but he knew that society did.  And society had told him over and over that ‘kids make dumb decisions.’  Loki never let himself fall into stereotypes like that.  So, why, even knowing that, couldn’t he stay _away_ from Thor? 

 

Objectively, Loki knew he should probably stick to his guns—he should try to push Thor out of his mind so he wouldn’t have to take back what he said and prove Thor right.  But, that option only left one outcome—Thor would never touch him again.  And the subjective part of Loki—that raw, emotion and hormone-driven, part that loved the attention, loved being touched and held and _wanted_ —couldn’t handle that being the case. 

 

Loki could have probably spent the entire afternoon wallowing in his self-pity, but the sound of the kitchen door creaking open dragged him out of his musings, causing his eyes to snap open. 

 

And what he saw caused his heart to stutter in his chest.

 

Thor was standing there, only a few feet away from.  Big, and tall, and glistening with sweat, strands of his blonde hair sticking to his neck.  Thor looked at him with fierce eyes, his expression unreadable, but nonetheless intense.  Seeing Thor there, watching him, brought back all the memories of what had transpired in this very kitchen not even a week ago, and Loki felt his face flame and his body tense with anticipation. 

 

Thor didn’t say a word as he continued to stand in the door way, but he did allow his eyes to drag up and down Loki’s form. Loki couldn’t help but shudder.  And when Thor’s eyes finally returned to meet Loki’s wide ones, Loki was sure he had seen a flash of desire. 

 

But Thor still remained silent, and as if breaking some spell that had been cast over the quiet kitchen, Thor began to walk toward him.   The sound of Thor’s heavy boots on the tile floor sounded like they were echoing through the empty house, and Loki trembled.  Thor had such a big _presence_.  As if anything that was lying in his path would have no choice but to yield or be demolished by him.  And all that did was excite Loki, who was already imagining the feel of Thor’s heavy body pressing up against his.

 

Loki stood frozen as Thor walked straight up to him, so close that Loki could smell the musky mix of his sweat and his cologne.  This close, Loki had to tilt his head back to look up at Thor.  And he looked his fill.  His eyes flitted from his thick blonde lashes, to the fullness of his lips, to a small smudge of dirt on his cheek.  He wondered briefly what would happen if he reached up and touched the roughness of Thor’s scruffy beard.  But, more than anything, Loki was drawn into the blue of Thor’s eyes.  Those eyes gave nothing away, doing little to alleviate Loki’s anxiety, but oh, how he had missed seeing them. 

 

Loki frowned to himself, as his mind tried to make sense of what was happening.  What would Thor _do_?  He didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t seem happy (or like he wanted to make up) either.  Instead, he just seemed calm; placid.  Loki’s heart beat rapidly in his chest, feeling as if it was moments away from jumping out of his ribcage. 

 

He gulped when Thor moved even closer, the space between them dwindling down to mere inches.  Thor reached an arm up, pressing a hand to the cabinet behind Loki’s head, caging him in, and Loki instinctively closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Face blossoming into a flush and mind whirring with a jumble of thoughts, Loki almost couldn’t believe it.  Thor was going to _kiss_ him!

 

But, instead of feeling lips against his own, all Loki heard was Thor saying, “Um… Do you mind moving out of the way?  I’m trying to get some water.” 

 

Loki’s eyes shot open.

 

Thor’s expression was still calm and controlled, but Loki knew he wasn’t imagining the mirth he saw dancing in Thor’s blue eyes.  Thor knew what Loki had been expecting and he was making fun of him.  It was _cruel_. 

 

Blinking back hot tears—tears Loki wasn’t sure were solely from his embarrassment—Loki pushed against Thor’s chest, forcing the bigger man to move out of his way.  Thor put up little fight as he allowed Loki to move around him. 

 

He watched on as Loki scurried out of the kitchen, and listened to the sound of the boy stomping up the stairs, followed by a resounding door-slam that made the chandelier in the dining room shake. 

 

Smirking, Thor opened the cabinet containing the glasses and pulled one out for himself.  He turned on the tap, and thought about what had just transpired as he filled up his glass.  Not only had Loki _expected_ to be kissed, he had _wanted_ it.  He had closed his eyes and leaned his head back, puckering his lips sweetly.  When Thor had seen the boy’s dark lashes fanning against his cheeks, the soft, pouty pink lips, and the long delicate curve of Loki’s neck, he had felt a moment of weakness where he had considered just giving in and kissing him. 

 

But he hadn’t. 

 

Because Loki was still being _punished_ , and kissing him would send the wrong message.  He was being taught a lesson for having the audacity to say he didn’t _want_ Thor.  If Loki really wanted him to believe he didn’t like it when Thor touched him then Thor _wouldn’t_ touch him again until Loki _asked_ for it.  And Thor had no problem waiting.  He knew it wouldn't be long before Loki came crawling back to him. 

* * *

Upstairs in his room, Loki felt mortified.  He hid his face underneath his pillow as he vacillated between wanting to scream and wanting to cry.  Thor had been so smug.  So completely blasé.  As if Loki’s feelings meant nothing.  Loki knew Thor had purposefully led him on.  He didn’t believe it had all just been in his _head_.   But he also knew Thor was making a point.  Loki had said he didn’t want to be touched, but as soon as Thor was in a room with him alone, Loki was giving him an open invitation.  

 

Thor was right.  Loki couldn’t deny it.  He had _wanted_ Thor to kiss him, consequences be damned.  He still didn’t know, however, if he could ever bring himself to admit that to the older man. And Loki had picked up on the fact that that was exactly what Thor was going to be expecting.

 

Biting at his lip in consternation, Loki flopped back on his bed and let out a disgruntled sigh. Life had never been this confusing before. 

* * *

Three more days passed like that, with Thor ignoring him and Loki fruitlessly pining.  The only saving grace had been that Tony had texted him yesterday to hang out.  He had gone over to Tony’s house and was floored when he realized that when Tony had said ‘hang out at my place,’ he had neglected to mention that said place was a _mansion_. 

 

Spending the day with Tony and Bruce had been a welcome distraction.  It had been a heat wave for the past few days and Thor, and the other guys, had taken to working with their shirts off.  Loki wasn’t too bothered by the others, but seeing Thor’s broad chest and rippling muscles, which he hadn’t had the luxury to see so bare before, had made Loki almost whine with want. 

 

He had hoped to maybe beg Tony if he could come over again today (they had only made it halfway through one of Tony’s video games yesterday), but before he could even send a text this morning, Laufey had cornered him in the living room, coming down on him for neglecting _days’_ worth of chores in the house.  Loki was told he wasn’t allowed to ‘disappear’ until he had seen to his housework.  And it just so happened that Laufey planned to be home all day.  Loki wouldn’t have the opportunity to slip out without getting it done. 

 

After spending the early part of the day doing that, Loki found himself in the muggy kitchen sitting at the island, munching on a bowl of cubed watermelon.  He had texted Tony a few minutes ago asking if they could hang out again now that he was done with his ‘sentence,’ but Tony had responded that Bruce had spontaneously dragged him to some science exhibit and they wouldn’t be back until later that day.  He _had_ told Loki he could come by tonight and they could hang out in his pool, which was equipped with a fiber optic underwater light show.  Loki hadn’t yet responded though.  He didn’t need a distraction at _night_ ; Thor would have gone home by then.  But…he still found himself considering it.  It might be fun to watch.  Plus, maybe he could even sleep over and save himself the torture of having to be here tomorrow when Thor, undoubtedly, showed up as radiant and as frustrating as ever. 

 

Rolling a piece of the sweet fruit around in his mouth as he fiddled with his phone, mulling over what to tell Tony, Loki wasn’t prepared when the back door swung open and Thor strolled into the kitchen.  He choked on the fruit, sputtering embarrassingly.  Sitting up straight, he covertly tried to straighten out his shirt and his unruly, humidity-induced curls. 

 

But it was all wasted effort because Thor didn’t even spare him a single glance as he walked through the kitchen, passing by where Loki was sitting at the island and through into the hallway.  Loki’s face burned in embarrassment at the dismissal and he felt that familiar sweeping sense of disappointment he had been experiencing relentlessly for the past week.

 

And Loki had had enough. 

 

He couldn’t sit there feeling like a kicked puppy every time Thor refused to acknowledge his existence.  Tossing his phone down on the counter, Loki quickly pushed himself to his feet, the sound of the bar stool scraping on the floor sending a grating noise through the empty kitchen.  Ignoring his bowl of fruit, Loki scurried after Thor.  He knew exactly where he must be going; there was no other reason for the workers to be in the house other than to get a drink or to use the bathroom. 

 

As soon as Loki made it into the hall, he could see Thor at the end of it, catching him right before he placed his hand on the handle of the hall bathroom door.  He must have made a good amount of noise in the kitchen, because Thor paused and glanced back at him expectantly, as if he had been waiting for him.  But he didn’t look happy to see him.  Seeing Thor’s look, Loki felt his heart begin to thud in his chest as he walked closer, but he forced himself not to falter.

 

As Loki came to a halt in front of Thor, he was torn between standing tall and trying to make himself as small as possible.  The hallway was narrow, containing nothing but the powder room and a linen closet, so there were only a few inches between their chests.  It wasn’t built for two people to comfortably stand side by side. At least not if the other person was Thor’s size.  So they each stood there, facing the other, Thor looking somewhat annoyed and Loki looking anxious.

 

“What, you here to complain that you don’t want me using your bathroom?” Thor scoffed.

 

Loki frowned.

 

“No, I… Why have you— I mean, I don’t get it… How come…” Loki trailed off as his eyes dropped to his feet, unable to articulate his frustration.  Now that he was actually face to face with Thor, he found it impossible to tell him all the things he had been feeling over the past week.   

 

“What, cat got your tongue all of a sudden?” Thor mocked, voice sounding mean.

 

Loki looked up at him, eyebrows drawn down and frowning.  He tried to give off the impression that he was just as annoyed as Thor was, but he felt vulnerable, his feelings were hurt, and he was sure it showed on his face.

 

“Why… why have you been ignoring me,” he asked quietly, feeling his cheeks burn in shame.

 

Thor paused, eyebrow arching inquisitively.  He feigned confusion as he leaned back against the closed bathroom door and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

 

“ _Ignoring_ you?” he asked, as if the concept was foreign to him.

 

“You don’t… you don’t talk to me…You don’t _try_ anything,” Loki admitted in a low whisper, face growing hotter. 

 

“I thought you told me you hated it when I touched you,” Thor sneered.

 

 “I…I shouldn’t have said that…” Loki murmured. “It’s… not true.”

 

He couldn’t look at Thor, but at least he could make himself admit this.  He had had enough.  He was tired of going through Thor’s silent treatment.  He was tired of being _punished_.  

 

“Prove it,” Thor growled as he stepped forward, closing the few inches of space in between them and crowding Loki up against the wall.  He pushed him with such force that Loki could hear the framed pictures above his head rattle on the wall. 

 

Loki looked away, glancing around him, as if suddenly remembering where he was.  His father was most likely in the living room.  Thor’s friends were in the backyard.  Anyone could walk in. Thor couldn’t be _serious_.  But then Thor was grabbing him by the jaw and turning his face back towards him and Loki could see that he was _very_ serious. 

 

His eyebrows were narrowed, his eyes dark, the grip he had on Loki’s chin tight to the point it was bordering on painful.  Thor was intimidating in that moment. But all Loki could think was that Thor’s expression told him that he _wanted_ him.  He had all of Thor’s attention now.  No more of the cold shoulder; no more of the ‘you don’t exist.’  And having Thor’s eyes on him like that sent a thrilling sensation throughout Loki’s entire body.   

 

Hesitantly, Loki reached up, fingers caressing the coarse texture of Thor’s scruffy beard.  Thor blinked at him, slowly, as if unsure about what Loki was doing.  But he released his grip on Loki’s jaw, searching his eyes, as if daring him to act.  Loki nervously licked his lips and watched as Thor’s eyes immediately dropped down to follow the path of his tongue as it darted out of his mouth.  Feeling emboldened and throwing caution to the wind, Loki cupped Thor’s face in his hands and pulled him down so that he could press his lips against his. 

 

It was a soft brush at first, just Loki’s lips pressing against Thor’s—Loki wondered if Thor was too surprised to react—but then Thor was pushing him back against the wall, mouth hot and hungry as he took control of the kiss.  It was all the things Loki had been fantasizing about for the last few days.  It was just what he _needed_. The heavy feel of Thor’s body, the dominance of his control, the heat of his unapologetic passion. 

 

Reaching up to grab at Thor’s shirt to steady himself, a soft breathy whimper escaped Loki’s lips and it was like the sound had unleashed something in Thor.

 

Thor pushed him against the wall harder, hips flush with Loki’s, as he dominated his mouth.  Wet sounds filled Loki’s ears as Thor’s tongue slid slickly over his own.  But he was too overwhelmed to feel embarrassed.  He could barely breathe, as if his breath was being stolen by Thor.  And Loki found himself thinking that he wouldn’t even care if he died this way, as he moaned again and rubbed his hips against Thor, cock already hardening in his jeans. 

 

But then, Thor placed his hand against his chest and pushed him back, holding him in place against the wall.  As he pulled away, he caught Loki’s bottom lip between his own, nibbling at it briefly before releasing him. 

 

Loki stood there, pinned in place as he trembled and panted, looking at Thor through bleary, wanting eyes.

 

“Looks like we’re both on the same page,” Thor said with a smirk as he looked Loki up and down, eyes roving from his flushed cheeks and swollen lips, to his heaving chest, and all the way down to his tented jeans. 

 

Loki was embarrassed to be so obvious in his need, but he forced down his gut reaction to deny it and instead, just silently nodded at Thor.

 

The smirk disappeared from Thor’s lips as he twisted his fingers into the fabric of Loki’s shirt, grabbing him and pulling him closer.  He leaned in and Loki’s pulse quickened. 

 

“Good, because I don’t want to hear you complaining again, you got that?” Thor whispered in his ear. “You’re _mine_ , kid.”

 

Loki’s eyes widened, and while his stomach twisted into knots at the implication of those words, his cock also throbbed in excitement.

 

The smirk returned to Thor’s lips as he pushed Loki away from him.   As Loki’s back bumped the wall behind him, he stared dazedly as Thor opened the bathroom door and stepped inside.  Thor winked at him, and then shut the door in his face.  Loki had been clearly dismissed.  

 

Blinking to try to clear his mind of the lust-induced fog, Loki turned and made his way back down the hall.  He couldn’t stop trembling as he walked, heart hammering, body feeling like there was fire in his veins.  Passing his father, who was sitting in the living room busily reading over some printouts, Loki quickly walked by, hiding his face, fearing that his father would be able to tell what he had just been up to.  He climbed the stairs as quickly as he could and was relieved when he made it into his bedroom. 

 

Sinking down on to his bed, Loki sat there, still in a daze, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.  He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into. 

 

Loki was excited.  Loki was scared.  But at least he had Thor. 

* * *

A/N: So this chapter wasn’t porn-y at all!  Sorry about that! Sometimes plot just necessitates that, haha. But did you like it?  Loki-kins is going through a lot of stuff, and of course Thor is the root of all his problems, ha!  I anticipate pornz in the next chapter! (rubs hands excitedly ;])

 

(Also: if there are any additional tags you think I should add for this fic that might help better categorize it in case you think I’m not properly warning for some things please let me know!)

Find me on [tumblr](laydee-liesmith.tumblr.com)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:  Thanks for all the really positive feedback, and for being so patient between updates, you guys!  And also, thanks to Sarah, again, for beta reading ;3. 

* * *

Thor was pleased with the way things were going.  Loki—often petulant, dishonest, and pompous—had come crawling to him a few days before, practically _begging_ for Thor to pay him attention again.  Watching the boy’s furrowed brows and worried eyes, as he looked for Thor’s approval, had been unexpectedly stimulating.  It was as if the only thing that existed in that moment for Loki was Thor, and that Loki would do anything to please him, as long as he asked for it. 

 

If Thor really took the time to think about it, he knew he’d have to admit that there was probably something _wrong_ with him for liking something like that.   Well, at least that _other_ people would think there was something wrong with him.  But Thor had made it pretty far in life not following the rules of “other people.”  And if there was something wrong with him, there was probably something wrong with _Loki_. 

 

The kid liked it.  Thor could tell. 

 

Thor knew Loki liked it when he came sniffing around him, making demands of him, touching him all over and throwing his world off kilter; he even liked it when Thor got a little _mean._  If he didn’t, he would’ve run and told his father already. Or, at the very least, he would have taken the opportunity to permanently remove Thor from his life when Thor had decided to stop paying attention to him.

 

But, he hadn’t. 

 

Loki’s eyes had followed Thor for a week, looking like a lost little puppy.  The boy didn’t think Thor was aware of him, but, oh, did Thor know.  Thor’s senses were fine-tuned.  He’d be able to feel a pair of eyes on him from a mile away.  And Loki’s eyes were _always_ on him.  Whether from the kitchen window, or from up in the boy’s room.  Loki was always, always watching him.  And even when Loki came outside to strike up small talk with the Warriors Three, Loki would surreptitiously glance Thor’s way.  His body was always canted slightly in Thor’s direction, a seemingly unconscious action on the boy’s part. It was as if he was saying “notice me!” over and over again. 

 

And notice him Thor did.  It wasn’t hard.  If Thor was being honest with himself, he found Loki _fun_.  Not when the boy was being disobedient, that was for sure.  But Thor had taken careful steps to ensure that wouldn’t happen again.  And he had even had a little fun in teaching Loki that important lesson, in any case. What he _did_ like about Loki, however, was his feistiness.  Loki could fight him tooth and nail—complain and whine as much as he wanted—but Thor always knew what to do to get the boy to moan, and, when he did, Loki turned to putty in his hands. 

 

Thor wasn’t stupid.  And it wouldn’t have taken a genius to have Loki pegged.  Thor already knew just what the boy liked.  Loki liked his hands, his size; how _powerful_ he was.  Thor knew Loki _liked_ to be dominated.  Even if it meant being held down until he would be honest with himself about it.  And because Loki’s default reaction was _not_ to be honest, he always fought; at least a little bit.  But Thor liked that too; it always got his blood pumping and his heart racing and made that moment when Loki finally, finally, submitted all the more sweet.  But to tell Thor he didn’t want him touching him? Well, Thor was having none of that.

 

Loki had learned his lesson well enough though, and since then, Thor had had the pleasure of having all of the boy’s poorly-hidden attention.  They hadn’t had a true moment to be “alone” together again since the meeting in the hallway, but Loki had gone out of his way to be in Thor’s eye-line more often than normal. 

 

Loki was spending more of his time outside; asking questions about the building progress, joking around with the contractors, and even giving some of his feedback on some changes he would personally like to see be made to the house.  And often this was either on his way to, or from, the pool, so Loki was sometimes bare-chested and dripping water.  Thor wasn’t quite sure that the boy was _trying_ to be a tease.  But having to see him so often when the coast wasn’t clear enough for Thor to actually _do_ anything about it was frustrating. 

 

So far, all Thor had been able to do was steal brief touches.  He once passed him on the stairs as Laufey was leading Thor to check the leaky faucet in the second-floor bathroom, and as they were ascending Loki was descending.  The stairs were wide enough for them all to fit, albeit it somewhat tightly, and as Loki squeezed past, Thor took the opportunity to covertly graze his knuckles along the expanse of Loki’s thigh exposed by his shorts.  Loki had let out the cutest sounding little “eep,” and Laufey had stopped on the stairs to turn around and stare at his son quizzically.  Loki had blushed and floundered for words, ultimately settling on saying that he had thought he had seen a spider.  Laufey had shaken his head in disbelief and Loki had practically run down the stairs. Thor had to fight to contain his laughter.

 

If he walked past the boy in the kitchen, Thor always made a point of touching him somewhere.  He would lightly touch the nape of his neck, if his hair was up, or he would run his big hand through Loki’s hair, and watch as Loki visibly shuddered, sitting up straighter and crossing his legs.  Thor was always thoroughly amused.  His effect on Loki was so immediate.  Of course, Thor also knew some of it had to do with the fact that Loki was a teenage boy and, quite honestly, almost always ready to _go_.  But Thor liked being the _only_ one who had access to him; the only one who could see how worked up he got, as those pale cheeks flushed with color and those plump lips parted in a soft gasp.  

 

But those moments were few and far in between and Thor was getting frustrated.    

 

Yesterday, Loki had stood outside in a bright red loose-fitting tank top and black shorts, as he sucked on a popsicle while he engaged in an extensive conversation with Fandral and Volstagg about installing a tire-swing to hang from the old oak tree at the far end of the property.  Seeing the boy’s lips close around the frozen treat had made Thor grind his teeth in a mixture of frustration, annoyance, and _want_.  Loki looked so good like that, and he was even wearing Thor’s _colors_. 

 

He half wanted to tell the kid to get back in the house and stop “distracting” his workers.  But it had actually been Volstagg who had stopped Loki in the first place, after mentioning that they had come across a big rig tire that would be “perfect” in the backyard, if Loki wanted it.  Loki originally scoffed at the idea of it, saying he was too old for something like that, but Fandral and Volstagg had ribbed him about it, telling him how much fun it would be, and soon Loki had warmed up to the idea.  He actually seemed pretty excited about it.

 

Today, Volstagg had hefted the big tire along to work and he, Fandral and Hogun had installed it.  Loki hadn’t had a chance yet to see it, but the three of them were actually quite looking forward to showing it to him.  Thor hadn’t participated because, out of the lot of them, he was the only one who was actually certified as a carpenter, and he was left measuring and cutting lumber for the addition they were building on the house.  But Thor was starting to feel a bit annoyed by how much Loki was enjoying talking to his friends, and, even more so, how much it seemed his _friends_ were taken with Loki.

 

Fandral, in particular, liked pretty things.  And Thor especially didn’t like the way the other blonde’s eyes sometimes followed the boy as he walked through the yard.  Fandral often commented about how “cute” Loki was.  And Thor didn’t quite know why that bothered him so much.  But it was really starting to grate at him.  Like a bad itch he just couldn’t scratch.  Or, maybe more accurately, a fly he couldn’t _squash_. 

 

As the three walked over to him, Thor could hear them joking around.  Stopping what he was doing, he pulled off his gloves and tossed them on to the work table.

 

“Finally done with your little project, huh?  Anyone here ready to help me do what we’re actually being paid for?” Thor asked, as he crossed his arms over his chest, but there was little heat behinds his words.

 

Fandral laughed.

 

“Aw, come on.  Don’t be like that.  You know you always get crazy when we try to cut the wood since apparently our measurements are always off.  So it’s not like we could’ve done anything while you were busy with that.  Besides, Loki is going to be _so_ happy when he sees this.  I can’t wait to see his face light up,” Fandral said, with a grin.  “It’ll be so cute.”

 

Thor groaned as he rolled his eyes, feeling that annoyance bubbling up in his gut again.

 

“Can you stop saying that?” he asked, trying to keep any hint of annoyance out of his voice.

 

“What?  It’s the truth.  The kid’s _cute_.  He’s gonna be a lady killer when he’s older,” Fandral said with a shrug and a smirk, a mischievous look in his eye.  “Or a _man_ -eater.  He definitely has a universal appeal… if you get my drift.”

 

Thor’s eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists, while Volstagg frowned. 

 

“What, are you saying now that you’re so indiscriminate that you’re looking at even _Loki_ like that?” Volstagg asked.  It was clear he disapproved. 

 

“ _No_ ,” Fandral scoffed.  “I mean… he’s 15. And, well, a _boy_.”

 

The three men stared at him skeptically for a few beats, and then Fandral’s face broke out into a grin as he gave his friends a knowing look. 

 

“ _But_ … I mean… in like 3 years?  Maybe I’ll swing by and see what he’s up to,” Fandral admitted with a wink.  “A boy like that’s not bound to get any _less_ pretty.  And I could probably be convinced to make an exception for _him_.”  

 

Thor had had enough.  That was more than even he was willing to let slide.  Who did Fandral think he was?  Loki belonged to _Thor_.  The anger he felt was almost white-hot, akin to what he felt when he would go into one of his “rages.”    

 

“Hey!” Thor snapped as he grabbed Fandral by the collar and pulled him close.  “You want to stop saying stupid fucking shit that’s going to get us fired!  Are you a fucking _idiot_?”

 

“Shit, Thor!  I’m just kidding!  _Kidding_ , man!  I promise.  I don’t see Loki like that.  None of us would be so stupid as to try anything with the kid of our employer.  And, again, I stress, he’s a _kid_!” Fandral complained, as he pried Thor’s fingers from his shirt.

 

Thor almost growled as he stepped back from Fandral, wanting nothing more than to knock some sense into the smug man, but he forced himself to get his breathing under control and relax his aggressive posture knowing his friends were all looking at him with surprise. 

 

“You okay?” Volstagg asked.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Thor said gruffly as he ran his hand through his blonde locks.  “Just—I don’t need anyone overhearing shit like this.  Okay?  We don’t know these people.  What if Laufey heard you talking like that?  Or the kid himself?”

 

Fandral had the good sense to look slightly chastened. 

 

“It was just a _joke_ ,” he mumbled.

 

Thor rolled his eyes.

 

“Why don’t you three make yourselves useful and get the tools out of the van so we can start laying down this lumber,” he said as he tilted his chin in the direction of the van.

 

“Aye aye, captain,” Fandral said with a sigh. 

 

The three turned around and started heading toward the van and Thor could still hear their continued conversation.  

 

“But, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Volstagg scolded as he nudged Fandral. “You shouldn’t drag little Loki into your unapologetic perversions. He’s really innocent, you know?”

 

Fandral laughed as he shook his head again.

 

“I was _kidding_ ,” he repeated. “But, I still stand by what I’ve always said: it’s the innocent ones you need to watch out for.”

 

The three of them laughed as they got further away.  Thor turned his back on them and leaned on the worktable, frowning down at his hands.  He didn’t know why he had gotten so angry.  He and his friends talked like that _all the time_.  Thor was just as likely to start conversations like that as Fandral was. 

 

He knew he had given a believable excuse for why he had scolded Fandral: “Professionalism.”  But, it wasn’t like they hadn’t worked on other projects where they had talked about the “hot MILF” who pranced around in short-shorts and bikini tops, or a family’s buxom daughter home from college for the summer who flirted with them incessantly.  Thor had never stopped the guys from talking then.  But he really, _really_ , hadn’t liked hearing Fandral talk about _Loki_ like that.  He didn’t like that anyone else _looked_ at Loki like that. 

 

Balling his hands into fists on the table, Thor told himself he needed to get it together.  Loki was just a little bit of summer fun.  He didn’t _mean_ anything.  It shouldn’t matter that other people found him attractive, or interesting, or funny.  It shouldn’t matter, but… for some reason, it _did_.

* * *

Loki did ultimately grin like a kid on Christmas when he saw the swing. 

 

Thor had watched him from the far side of the yard as he jumped on it and swung, quite recklessly, around on it while Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun cheered him on.  And the one time Loki’s eyes caught Thor’s the boy had blushed, looking a bit sheepish.  And Thor couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.  Loki had looked a bit stunned at that, and Thor had turned around almost immediately, going back to the band-saw he was using to resize some of the wood.  He didn’t look at Loki again for the hour or so the kid was outside.  And then Loki was being called back in the house by his father, and the yard was quiet again.

 

Laufey had come out to get Thor a little while after that, asking him if he could take a look at their air conditioning system.  Apparently the thing tended to work arbitrarily and when it did decide to finally lurch itself to life it usually only put out feeble bursts of cool air.  So Thor had stopped what he was doing and tasked the guys with laying the lumber he had cut. 

 

When Thor walked into the house, Loki was nowhere to be seen.  He was a little disappointed, but he shrugged it off as he followed Laufey to the malfunctioning units.  As Laufey showed him what the issues were, his mind quickly switched to the task at hand as he began working on it, thinking, only briefly, how it was such a waste to fix the units because he liked how the heat made Loki seem perpetually flushed and how his hair was often damp along his hairline, curling ever so slightly. 

 

With a bit of tinkering, Thor was able to make the units function somewhat more efficiently, but ultimately came to the conclusion that it would make more sense just to replace it with a more modern system.  The current one was clearly over 20 years old and Thor had to tell Laufey that there was nothing that would make it work like the units he was used to.  Getting to his feet as he wiped his hands on the front of his jeans, he told Laufey that if he wanted it fixed he would draft up a bill and proposed work detail, and Laufey could get back to him about his decision.   The man had smiled tightly, remarking that maybe taking on renovations on such an old house was a bit of a misguided undertaking.  Thor could only shrug as they shook hands and he then excused himself to return to the work outside.  

 

When Thor walked into the kitchen, he stopped in the doorway, pleasantly surprised to see Loki sitting at the kitchen island.  He was staring at his phone intently with a silly smile on his face as he began typing off a message.  Thor watched him for a few seconds, eyebrow arching and frown settling on his features.   These were the rare sides of Loki that he never saw, and something about that bothered him. 

 

 “What’s got you smiling like that?” he asked, startling Loki.

 

Jumping, Loki looked up to see Thor standing in the kitchen looking at him suspiciously, and he couldn’t help his instinctive reaction to hide his phone behind his back.  

 

Thor’s face darkened, and he walked across the kitchen to where Loki was sitting at the island.

 

“Give me that phone,” he demanded.

 

Loki blanched.

 

“What?  No!  You can’t just go through my things-” Loki began, but Thor paid him no mind as he easily wrestled the phone out of Loki’s clenched fingers.

 

Loki watched on nervously as Thor began to look through his messages, feeling his face flush as he imagined the multitude of things the older man could possibly be thinking.  He saw a variety of expressions play over Thor’s face, but was unable to decipher any of them.  Things between him and Thor were… confusing.  Since Loki had admitted he wanted Thor’s attention, Thor had been giving him exactly that. 

 

While the past few days had included nothing like the heated stolen moments they had shared before, Thor did make an effort to touch him at least once a day.  Loki was never quite sure when it was going to happen, but the quick caresses always left a trail of heat in their wake and Loki’s skin would tingle for hours afterwards.  And just the feeling of Thor’s gaze on him was often enough to make Loki tremble.  There was something like promise in the man’s eyes.  As if he was trying to tell Loki “just wait until I get you alone.” 

 

But time alone hadn’t been so easy to come by lately, what with Laufey working on a project from home over the past week and the “Warriors Three” seeming to be paying more attention to Loki as of late.  And Loki had found himself feeling especially… antsy. 

 

He didn’t want to upset Thor again, but he also wanted _more_. He just never knew how to initiate it.  And he could never tell what Thor was _thinking_.  Sometimes Thor seemed amused, other times he seemed on the verge of snapping.  He could so quickly transition from teasing to a tightly-controlled fury.  And right now?  He didn’t look all that amused. 

 

“This “Tony” you’re talking to… is this Tony _Stark_?” Thor asked finally, as he glanced up at Loki over the top of the phone.

 

He was frowning, but Loki wasn’t sure why he would be upset.  There really wasn’t anything contained in the texts except for some harmless jibing between himself and Tony.  Loki swallowed as he forced himself to hold Thor’s electric blue gaze. 

 

“Uh… yeah…?” Loki said tentatively.

 

Thor tossed the phone on to the counter as if he was no longer interested.

 

“Stop talking to that fucking kid.  He’s such a little asshole.  Plus, he’ll try to fuck anything that can walk,” Thor said dismissively. “Stay away from him.”

 

Loki felt his face heat, but it was from a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

 

“You can’t _tell_ me who I can and can’t talk to,” he said pointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest, feeling his emotions switch quickly from uncertainty to annoyance.

 

However, Thor shot him a look and Loki felt himself waver a bit.

 

“B-besides…” Loki trailed off as he watched Thor’s displeased expression.  “It’s not like he… Tony isn’t interested in me for _that_ …”

 

Thor rolled his eyes as he picked the phone back up again.  And Loki found himself wishing he had been quicker to keep it out of the older man’s reach.  He didn’t need Thor _looking_ for more reasons to be angry with him. 

 

“Yeah, I’m so sure.  I told you not to talk to him.  That’s the end of it.  This isn’t debatable,” Thor repeated.

 

“Thor!” Loki complained as he tried to reach for the phone but was thwarted by Thor simply holding it above his head, like some sort of schoolyard bully.

 

“I can’t just… Tony is one of my only friends here.  Well, him and Bruce,” Loki admitted, feeling as if he shouldn’t have to even explain himself.  But he remembered how angry Thor had been about _Steve_ …

 

“And Tony _told_ me he’s not interested in me.  He likes someone _else_ ,” Loki explained.  “So… you don’t have anything to worry about.”

 

Thor scoffed as he went back to looking through the phone. 

 

“‘Worry about?’” he repeated flippantly, eyes still on the screen, as if he couldn’t be bothered to seriously consider Loki’s accusation.  “Who said I’m _worrying_ about anything?  The kid’s grimy and it’s in your best interest to stay the fuck away from him.” 

 

Loki bit his lip as he watched Thor’s thumbs move across his screen. 

 

“I just… I like them.  They’re my friends,” Loki muttered quietly. 

 

Thor looked up at him and something changed momentarily in his eyes before returning to their guarded expression.

 

“Fine… if you’re _that_ fucking bored in this town.  But you don’t go anywhere alone with that kid,” Thor said gruffly.  “I know he hangs out with Banner most of the time.  So keep it to that.”

 

Loki pouted, but he supposed that was the best he was going to get out of this.  He didn’t know why Thor _cared_ who he hung out with.  But he couldn’t deny that Thor’s possessiveness made him feel strangely good.  Even though _Thor_ would probably never admit it was possessiveness.

 

“Can I have my phone back then?” Loki asked grumpily. 

 

Thor cocked his head to the side as if considering something, and then smirked as he began to type something into Loki’s phone.

 

“W-wait!  What’re you doing?  Don’t write anything weird!” Loki whined as he tried again to get the phone back.  Thor was just as successful in keeping it from him as he was the first time.

 

“Relax, kitten,” Thor said snidely.  “I’m just putting my number in here.  Since it’s apparent you’re so bored that you need to flirt with _Stark_ I’ll let you expend all that pent up energy on me.”

 

Loki flushed at the implications of that, and Thor gave him a predatory grin.  Loki had to look away, feeling himself getting worked up for no good reason.  

 

“I- I’m not _flirting_ with Tony!  Gross,” Loki spat.   

 

Thor seemed unconvinced, but passed him the phone back anyway.

 

“Let’s both hope that’s true, baby,” Thor said as he grabbed his chin and forced Loki to turn back to face him. 

 

Loki stared up at him with wide, green eyes and parted pink lips and Thor felt a sudden urge to kiss him.  But even he was self-aware enough to know that, with Laufey only a room away, a kiss was probably not the best idea.  Instead, Thor let his thumb drag briefly over Loki’s plump bottom lip.  And when Loki shuddered, eyes fluttering as if he was already preparing to close them to receive Thor’s kiss, Thor pulled his hand back.  He leaned close to Loki’s ear, breath hot on the shell as he told Loki a little secret.   

 

“Because I don’t like to share,” he whispered.

 

Pulling back, Thor grinned at him, liking the way Loki’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes looked so needy.  That was good enough for now, he decided.  Loki wouldn’t be able to spend his time thinking about Tony Stark if he was looking at Thor like _that_. And, satisfied, Thor winked at him before turning and heading toward the kitchen door. 

  

Loki watched after Thor, heart thudding in his chest and mouth suddenly feeling so dry.  Thor had a way with words.  Thor just had a way about him, in general.  Whenever he was around, he made Loki practically melt.  And Loki would kick himself if he didn’t know that he actually liked it when Thor was so demanding like that. 

 

Mulling these thoughts over, he waited until the door closed and he was sure Thor was sufficiently far away before he rushed to pick up his phone.  He was relieved to see that no new text messages had been sent to Tony.  He wouldn’t have put it past Thor to send some threatening alpha-male type message to Loki’s new friend.  In that scenario what bothered him the most was the thought that Tony would have confirmatory “evidence” that Loki knew Thor better than he had first admitted to.  And Loki wasn’t quite ready to have that conversation (or any conversation close it) with the older boy just yet.  But Loki was quite impressed with Thor for _not_ taking the childish route. Instead, he had just made sure _Loki_ knew not to get too close to Tony.  Loki rolled his eyes.

 

But then he remembered the other thing Thor had mentioned—putting his number in Loki’s phone.  He flushed at the thought.  Thor giving him his number, well… didn’t that mean something?  That Thor wanted to talk to him outside of the few hours he saw him while he was working on their house?  Loki didn’t know if he was naïve to think that, but all he did know was that he suddenly had Thor’s number and he hadn’t even needed to ask for it.  He wasn’t sure, however, how exactly Thor wanted him to use it.  Was Thor really serious when he said that Loki should… flirt with him?  The thought made Loki a little worried. That was something he definitely hadn’t had much practice in.  Would Thor be bored by the meager attempts of someone as inexperienced as he was? 

 

Forcing the thoughts out of his mind, he quickly scrolled through his contacts in search of the alleged new entry but could find nothing under “Thor” or even “Borson.”  He couldn’t figure out what name Thor had given himself in his phone.  Biting his lip for a moment, he wondered how he’d ever know when Thor actually texted him.  But then a thought crossed his mind.  Thor didn’t have _his_ number.  Unless… Unless Thor had called himself from Loki’s phone.

 

Frowning, Loki looked at his recent calls and when he saw the most recent entry he blushed up to his ears. 

 

Thor had entered his number as _Daddy_. 

 

“Ugh!” Loki huffed, halfway between totally disgusted and quite enamored. 

 

Despite whatever Thor thought he was achieving by calling himself that (the implications made a deep dark part of Loki thrum pleasantly), Loki would have to make sure he changed that ASAP. His _actual_ father’s name in his contacts list was “Dad,” and it would be too embarrassing to fathom accidentally mixing those two up.  And Lord help them all if Loki’s father ever caught him getting text messages from someone named “Daddy.”

 

Laughing to himself, Loki smiled down at his phone, wondering when his first message from Thor would arrive.  

* * *

That message came sooner than Loki had anticipated, and in a pointedly unexpected way.  

 

It was almost 11 o’clock and Loki was lounging in his bed, lazily scrolling through his favorite websites and listening to music.  He wasn’t tired, but he also wasn’t energetic enough to do anything like play video games or actually stimulate his mind.  He was considering starting a movie (that he would probably fall asleep halfway through, by the looks of it) when his phone buzzed and dinged from its place next to him on the nightstand.

 

Pausing, Loki pulled his headphones off and glanced at the illuminated phone.  Eyebrows furrowed, he reached over to it, confused as to who would be texting him this late at night.  His friends back home tended to be dead to the world around 10 o’clock and even Tony, who seemed to be a bit of an insomniac, tended to text around more ungodly hours of the night, like 3 or 4 in the morning.  Loki often was (luckily) too deeply asleep by that point to be bothered by Tony’s insistent messages.  But if it wasn’t his friends from home and if it wasn’t Tony, then…?  

 

His breath caught in his chest when he saw the words on the screen.  Loki had renamed Thor’s contact as _Asshole_ and the message he had received was clearly from the older man.

 

_Asshole_ :  What’re you wearing?

 

Loki blushed as he gripped the phone.  Was Thor _serious_?   

 

_Me_ : Are you serious right now?

 

_Asshole_ : Have I ever joked around with you?

_Asshole_ : Come on, don’t keep me waiting. 

 

Loki bit his lip, wondering if he should really reply.  He knew what Thor wanted…the point was for it to be _sexual_.  Thor wasn’t just asking about his fashion choices for the night.  But Loki wasn’t quite sure _how_ to be seductive for Thor.  Besides, it wasn’t like he was some girl decked out in lingerie.  He was in a t-shirt and shorts.  But he also knew that if he didn’t respond Thor would just be annoyed.  And, more than anything, he did want to make Thor happy, if it meant that would keep his attention.  Grumbling, he decided he could only be honest.  It was Thor’s own fault if he was disappointed.

 

_Me_ :  A t-shirt and shorts.  Real exciting.

 

Loki waited for a few seconds as the screen showed that Thor was typing back a response

_Asshole_ : You can be sexier than that

_Asshole_ : And we BOTH know it

_Asshole_ : So come on.  Get me worked up. 

 

Loki sighed.  That was exactly what he didn’t know _how_ to do.  But before he could respond, Thor had sent another text message. 

 

_Asshole_ : Actually, why don’t you SHOW me?

 

Frowning, Loki typed back.

 

_Me:_ How exactly do you expect me to do that? 

 

But Thor’s answer wasn’t what Loki wanted to see.

 

_Asshole_ : Take a picture, genius

_Asshole_ : Better yet, Facetime me

 

Loki’s eyes widened.   That was… Thor wanted to see him, _live_?  Loki’s heart pounded, but he glanced toward his door, and before he knew what he was doing, he had gotten to his feet and walked over and locked it.  Settling back on his bed, he saw that Thor had already sent him another impatient message, urging him to hurry up.

 

Sighing, and trying to push down his nerves, Loki sat in front of his computer and decided to initiate the call from there.  He could keep his headphones on and ensure that nothing Thor said would be accidentally overheard.  He knew his father was sleeping, and Laufey was usually a _heavy_ sleeper, but Loki wasn’t taking any chances. 

 

When the call connected and the black screen was replaced by the image of Thor’s bright blue eyes, blonde beard, and smiling mouth, Loki suddenly felt flooded with nervous excitement.  He couldn’t see much; the room appeared dark.  But he was happy to just be seeing _Thor_.  Immediately he felt closer to him.  And it made him happy just to think that Thor _wanted_ to talk to him outside of the limited hours he was working on the house.

 

“Well, well, well,” Thor said, his deep voice filling Loki’s ears.  “Look at you.” 

 

Loki flushed and frowned, embarrassed.  There was nothing to look _at_. 

 

“I don’t know what you really wanted to see,” Loki muttered as he titled his screen, letting Thor get a good look at him.  His own room was illuminated, so he knew Thor could see him a lot better than he could see Thor.  Loki sat there with his legs crossed in front of him, hunched over somewhat self-consciously, and wondering if his hair looked crazy, piled on top of his head in a small bun.  

 

“I wanted to see exactly what I’m looking at now.  You, all alone, so I could look my fill,” Thor said, eyes looking hungry.

 

Loki bit his lip, and couldn’t help but to look down bashfully.  Under Thor’s gaze, he _did_ feel desirable.  But Thor also made him feel self-conscious and clumsy.  He made his heart race and his words come out clunky and inarticulate.  Looking back up, he met Thor’s eyes.

 

“Wh-what do you want me to do?” he asked shyly.

 

And Thor grinned.  A look so devilish Loki already knew he would do almost anything the older man asked him to.

 

“Take your clothes off.  _All_ of them,” Thor said without any hesitation. 

 

Now, that was something Loki hadn’t done before. And the thought of it gave him pause.  It was almost too embarrassing, to be completely exposed like that. 

 

“I… I can’t get completely _naked_ ,” Loki whispered. 

 

Thor sighed, looking displeased. 

 

“You can… you’re just being shy.  But you have no reason to be shy with me.  I’ve seen you at your most exposed,” Thor purred. 

 

Loki shook his head.  It was different.  Thor had been in control.  But, for Loki to do it himself?  He didn’t think he could. 

 

“Can I just… can I leave some of them on?” Loki asked.  “I’ll do what you want, but… completely naked is too much.”

 

Thor rolled his eyes.

 

“I wonder why you always think you’re in a position to negotiate?” Thor asked, sounding genuinely curious. “It makes me feel like I’ve still got a lot of _work_ to do with you…”

 

Loki looked down, feeling chastised. 

 

“Fine, then.  Take off your bottoms and touch yourself for me,” Thor instructed, voice breaking the silence. 

 

Loki gaped at him.

 

“What?” Thor said, smirking.  “You had no trouble doing it that first day I came across you.  Legs spread, ass in the air, moaning like you all you wanted was to be fucked. So _greedy_ for it.” 

  

Loki’s ears burned, he was blushing so badly.  Thor’s voice was so deep and heady, and even though Loki didn’t want to be so transparent, Thor’s words—and the memories it evoked—had Loki’s cock stirring within his shorts. 

 

Biting his lip, Loki brought his hands up to the waistband of his shorts, pulling them off, along with his underwear, and tossing them to the side.  His hand immediately went to cover his already half-hard cock, and Thor grinned. 

 

“Don’t hide from me.  You know you want to show me,” Thor breathed. 

 

Closing his eyes, Loki shifted his hand, pulling up the hem of his shirt and revealing himself to Thor.  

 

“ _Nice_ ,” Thor said, voice rolling over Loki like liquid fire.  “Show me how bad you want me.” 

 

Loki couldn’t believe himself, but his hand was moving on its own, closing around his cock and stroking it to the sound of Thor’s voice, hips jerking and mouth parting in soft gasps. 

 

“Yeah, just like that.  Thinking about me gets you off, doesn’t it?” Thor asked. 

 

Loki nodded, too swept up by the thought of Thor watching him to even try to be coy.  His hand soon became slick, ears flooded with the sound of his own whimpers and moans, as he stroked himself harder and faster.  But what really pushed him to the edge were the sounds he was hearing coming from his headphones.  It was the breathy sound of Thor’s own strained voice and when Loki’s eyes fluttered open, the image he saw made his heart hammer in his chest.  Thor was panting, eyes half-lidded and dark as he looked at him, and Loki suddenly realized that Thor was touching himself too. 

 

“I love looking at you like this,” Thor said, voice strained and heavy with lust.  “When you’re turned on, you can’t lie to me.”   

 

Loki flushed, but he knew Thor was right.  He had never wanted anyone the way he wanted Thor.  And no matter how much he had fantasized, thoughts fueled by what he could find in porn, he had never been turned on like the way Thor could turn him on.  He knew it was dangerous, he knew it was wrong.  But he also knew he loved the way it made him feel. 

 

“And only I can make you come like this, isn’t that right?” Thor asked.

 

And that was it for Loki.

 

“Th-Thor!” Loki cried out as he squeezed his eyes shut and came all over his stomach. 

 

Breathing heavy, Loki opened hazy eyes to look at Thor, who was smirking at him.

 

“You went and came all by yourself, huh, baby?  That wasn’t fair,” he scolded.

 

Loki blushed, but he was still too wrecked from his release to form any coherent words.

 

“But, that’s alright.  I liked seeing you be so honest.  Getting off just from hearing my voice… hmm?  Let’s just say you owe me one for next time then,” Thor purred.

 

Licking his lips, Loki nodded dumbly.   Then Thor winked and the connection went dead.

 

Sated and feeling almost giddy, Loki collapsed back against his pillows. As his breathing started to even out, he thought about what he had just done.  It hadn’t taken much for Thor to convince him to strip halfway naked and touch himself on camera.  His cheeks burned at the thought.  Thor had seemed so pleased—so amused—and Loki knew that this would probably be a recurrent event. 

 

As he felt his lids getting heavier, the warm feeling of his orgasm lulling him to sleep, he realized that the thought of that didn’t seem to bother him much at all. 

* * *

The next day found Loki lounging on the floor of Tony’s luxe bedroom on a pile of over-stuffed throw pillows.  Tony was sitting on his bed, fully immersed in some high action first-person shooter video game, while Bruce was curled up in a comfy armchair typing furiously, as usual, on his laptop.  Loki had taken a few turns on the game but Tony was at an unfathomable level, in addition to having added his own mods, and Loki had given up, finding it almost impossible to win.  Unfair as the game was, it was fun to watch Tony master the levels. 

 

Loki laid there, a bowl of popcorn balanced on his chest, as he cheered Tony on.  Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.  Brows furrowing, Loki reached down to retrieve it and when he saw who it was he felt heat flood his face.  

  

_Asshole_ : Next time I want you to show me more

_Asshole_ : Wanna see you spread those legs

_Asshole:_ Use your fingers and show me the way you want me to use mine on you

 

Loki sat up quickly, almost forgetting about the bowl balanced on his chest and having to scramble to catch it.   

 

Tony glanced at him, taking his eyes off the screen for only a split second.

 

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, eyes returning to the images in front of him.

 

“Ah…nothing.  Sorry, just… uh, choked on some popcorn,” Loki lied, as he held the phone down by his side, irrationally concerned that the other boys would somehow find out what the messages had said, even though they were seated a number of feet away from him. 

 

Tony shrugged and went back to aggressively pounding the buttons on his controller.

 

Sighing, Loki turned his attention back to his phone, still somewhat in disbelief that Thor had written something like that.  Glancing back over his shoulder at Tony and Bruce, who seemed to be paying him no attention, Loki relaxed.  He then responded to Thor.  

 

_Me_ :  I don’t think that’s ever going to happen!

 

_Asshole_ : Oh, we’re back to lying again?

 

Loki frowned, taking the words as a challenge.

 

_Me_ : I’m NOT lying.  I’m just not going to do that.

_Asshole:_ Just like you said you wouldn’t take your clothes off for me?

_Asshole_ : Be a good boy

_Asshole_ : Tell me you’ll do it

 

Loki’s face flushed.  He hated himself for wanting so badly to receive Thor’s praise. But the times when Thor looked at him like he was the only person in the room were the moments Loki yearned for the most.

 

_Me:_ I don’t know

 

_Asshole_ : Oh, you don’t?

_Asshole_ : You wanna know what I know?

_Asshole_ : I know you liked what you did last night

_Asshole_ : And you probably went to sleep thinking you can’t wait to do it again

 

Loki began to wonder if Thor was some kind of mind-reader. It was embarrassing to think that Thor could see through him so easily. 

 

_Me_ : That was a one-time thing

_Me_ : And it doesn’t mean I’m going to go any further than that

_Asshole_ : That’s what you think, but we both know you sing a different tune when I’m touching you

 

Loki could almost picture the smirk that was probably on Thor’s face after saying something like that.

 

_Asshole_ : It’s not that you don’t WANT to

_Asshole_ : Own up to the fact that you’re just scared to do it

_Asshole_ : I’ll teach you the ropes

_Asshole_ : We both know that’s what you want

 

Loki almost whimpered at the thought, but forced himself to hold it in as he locked the screen.  He wasn’t going to respond to that.  What was the point?  Thor already knew.  And Loki knew he wasn’t going to get far by trying to deny it. Besides, he was starting to realize that he really seemed to like something about the way that Thor was so rough and demanding with him. Deep down, he liked that Thor did away with his need to make choices; Thor made decisions _for_ him. 

 

“I think I’m a masochist,” he muttered in disbelief as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. 

 

He heard Tony spit out what he had just been drinking, and Loki looked up at him from his position on the ground.  He had forgotten that other people were in the room.  And now Tony was staring at him with wide eyes, looking at him as if Loki had just paraded through the room stark-naked.  Loki could see that Bruce was looking at him curiously as well, and he couldn’t help but blush.  He really _must_ be a masochist for saying something like that and expecting he wouldn’t have to explain himself.     

 

“ _What_ did you just say,” Tony asked, pausing his game.  “Are we all airing our dirty kink-laundry right now?”

 

Loki’s face was on fire. 

 

“I’m not-!  I didn’t mean…” Loki floundered, but he was at a loss for words.

 

“Is that what you’re into?” Tony asked as he waggled his eyebrows at him, his eyes shining with mirth.  He looked far too excited and Loki was not looking forward to what Tony could think up to make this situation even more embarrassing. 

 

“I’m _not_ into that!” Loki protested. “I didn’t mean anything by it… It was just a stupid thing to say.  You don’t have to try to read into it.” 

 

“Oh? Who were you just texting then?” Tony asked instead. 

 

Loki paused.  He had tried to text as covertly as he could.  And he had been sure Tony’s attention was immersed in his game.  But the look Tony was giving him now—a self-satisfied smirk—told him Tony was apparently very good at multi-tasking.

 

“It was _no one_ ,” Loki huffed, turning away from Tony.

 

“Is that so?  I know the only people you talk to here are me and Bruce, so whoever you’re texting must be someone from back home.  You sure you’re not hiding a Daddy Dom from us?” Tony asked.  “And here I thought you were so innocent.  I don’t know if I should congratulate you or scold you.”

 

Loki whipped back around to stare at him.

 

“A _what_?” he asked, tone a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

 

Tony rolled his eyes, interest seeming to wane a little.

 

“You don’t know what a Daddy Dom is?” he asked, eyebrow arched.

 

Loki blushed.

 

“Am I _supposed_ to?” he asked, hating that Tony always talked down to him like he was some kind of idiot.

 

Tony sighed, dramatically, as he turned back to his game, un-pausing it.

 

“I guess you really _are_ the innocent little lamb I pegged you for initially. How boring,” he whined, eyes back on the screen.

 

Loki rolled his eyes, annoyed with the dismissal but also relieved that Tony had seemed to lose interest.  

 

“ _But_ ,” Tony said as he glanced back at Loki, a small smirk on his face, “you really do seem the type who would _like_ that sort of thing.  How about one of these nights I bring you to one of the clubs in the city?  I’m sure you could find a lot of what you like there.”

 

Loki frowned.

 

“A club in the city?  Like we could even get _in_ ,” he said, unimpressed.

 

Tony laughed.

 

“Kid, I’m Tony Fucking Stark, I can get in _anywhere_ ,” Tony said, winking at him.

 

Loki furrowed his brows as he mulled over Tony’s words while Tony returned his attention fully to the game.  Loki had no interest in going to any clubs—especially if the point was to find a guy, which is what he surmised Tony was talking about.  He highly doubted they could even get in, Tony’s boasting aside.  But the thought that stood out most in his mind was that Thor probably wouldn’t like it.

 

Pausing, Loki frowned at that realization.  Since when did he do _anything_ just because someone else told him he couldn’t?  If Tony really could get them into a club, then Loki decided he was going to go.  Thor be damned.    

* * *

Loki spent a few more hours at Tony’s and finally went home when his father started complaining that he hadn’t seen him all day.  To an extent, that had somewhat been Loki’s plan.  He had been too embarrassed at the thought of facing Thor after their video exchange the night before and had holed himself up at Tony’s.  By the time he got home, the workers had been gone for hours. 

 

At dinner, he had casually asked his father about the progress in the yard, hoping to hear some news of Thor, but his father had told him Thor hadn’t been on site that day. 

 

That was surprising.  Loki had thought it was strange when Thor texted him earlier that day but hadn’t called him out on running away from him, but now he realized that Thor hadn’t been there to notice he was missing.  As he showered that night and prepared for bed, Loki’s thoughts were plagued with questions about where Thor had been.  

 

Before he climbed into bed, he looked at his phone again, disappointed that the thing had been silent for hours.  Thor hadn’t contacted him again since earlier that afternoon and Loki was starting to worry that Thor was back to punishing him.  Loki _had_ chosen not to respond to Thor’s last message after all.  He had a strong urge to check in with him; see what he was up to.  But, he just wasn’t confident enough to initiate messages with Thor.  He didn’t know what Thor got up to when he was away from him.  Other than activities undertaken in the vaguely hinted at “underworld” that he and his friends seemed to operate in, that is.  And Loki wasn’t about to send a pitiful “I miss you” type message to an alleged crime lord. 

 

Sighing, Loki put the phone back down and got under the covers.  Sleep came relatively quickly.  He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he did know that the sound of his phone ringing had woken him up.  Sitting up bleary-eyed, Loki reached over to his phone, squinting at the illuminated display.  When he saw that “Asshole” was calling, he quickly felt more awake.

 

“H-hello??” he whispered into the phone.  

 

“Come outside,” Thor said brusquely.

 

Loki’s eyes widened.  He glanced down at the phone, seeing that it was 1:53 in the morning.

 

“Like right _now_?” he asked incredulously.

 

“Yes,” Thor said, sounding exasperated.  “Did you think I meant two weeks from now?”

 

Loki frowned, not appreciating the attitude.  _He_ wasn’t being the unreasonable one here. 

 

“It’s almost two _a.m._ ,” Loki hissed.

 

“I can also read a clock, kid.  Come out here.  Now,” Thor repeated. 

 

Loki could tell by Thor’s tone that he wasn’t in the mood to be disobeyed.  He could sense that there was a hint of urgency in Thor’s voice, and Loki couldn’t deny that he was somewhat intrigued by the fact that Thor was asking to meet him in the middle of the night.  There was already something like electricity starting to buzz under his skin at the thought of it.  Debating for a few seconds as he looked around his dimly-lit room, and then down at himself, Loki finally let out a groan of defeat. 

 

“Give me like 10 minutes.  I need to get changed,” he began to explain but then Thor cut him off.

 

“Come in what you’re wearing.  Get out here _now_ ,” Thor said.  “I’m parked behind your house.”

  
And then the line went dead.  Loki stared down at the phone in his hand for a few seconds, incredulous.  Who did Thor think he _was_?  That he could just order Loki to get out of his bed in the middle of the night for some kind of impromptu meeting?  It was preposterous.  Even with that thought in his mind, Loki found himself pushing back his sheets and climbing out of his bed.  As he slipped on a pair of flip flops he mulled for a second if he should still change out of his shorts and tank top, but he decided against it knowing that Thor was probably actually timing him.

 

Rolling his eyes, Loki grabbed his phone and then made his way into the dark hallway.  He paused for a moment as he looked at his father’s closed door across the hall, feeling guilty.  This was actually the first time he had ever had a need to sneak out of the house.  All of his whining and griping about his father aside, they had a pretty high level of trust between them.  But, now… Loki was violating that trust.  He just hoped his father never found out.  Shaking his head, he forced himself to move past the closed door and quickly down the carpeted steps.  He made his way through the living room, kitchen, and out the back door in less than two minutes.  As soon as the door closed behind him, he was hit by the cool night air. 

 

He looked around the yard for a second, shivering to himself, before he made his way across the yard and to the wooden fence in back. Peeking his head out, he looked up and down the street, not exactly sure which car would be Thor’s, when he saw a pair of headlights flash at him.  Sighing, Loki made his way over to the dark vehicle. It was a shiny black truck with attractive silver accents.  Clearly expensive.  And clearly fit for someone like Thor.

 

Hesitantly, Loki reached out to grab the door handle to the passenger side, not sure if Thor actually wanted him to get in, but when he looked through the glass he could see Thor staring at him impatiently.  Pulling the door open, Loki climbed in and settled into the plush leather seat, the material chilly against the bare skin of his thighs.  The lights hadn’t gone on when he opened the door, so he sat in the dark interior, eyes adjusting to the lack of light.  This close to Thor he could smell his cologne and swore he could feel the heat coming off of him in the small space. 

 

“So what exactly was so important that you had to see me _right_ now?” Loki asked, trying to focus on the annoyance he had felt earlier. 

 

“Come over here,” Thor said instead as he grabbed Loki by the wrist.

 

Loki gasped and struggled slightly as Thor practically dragged him across the center console and into his lap.  Loki could do little as Thor maneuvered him until he was sitting with his knees straddling the older man’s hips.  His breath came out in little pants as he tried to get his bearings, nervous and excited at the same time. 

 

“What do you _think_ I called you out here for?” Thor asked, hands immediately on Loki’s waist, squeezing him softly.  

 

And then Thor’s mouth was on his, and Loki’s response was being swallowed up by the hot press of Thor’s lips and tongue.  He couldn’t help the moan that slipped out as he grabbed on to the front of Thor’s shirt and his eyes fluttered closed, letting himself get carried away by the storm that was _Thor_. 

 

Loki wasn’t privy to the real reason Thor had come and sought him out that night.  And Thor couldn’t quite explain it himself either.  He had been angry, so angry, after leaving a meeting with his father earlier that night. 

 

Odin had had a long-awaited meeting with Ronan, one of the second-in-commands in a group led by Thanos, a crime boss the Borson family had had very few pleasant interactions with.  They weren’t exactly _enemies_ , but relations were tense enough that any little slip up could lead to an all-out war.  And Odin had invited Thor to this meeting with specific instructions to stay quiet. It was supposed to be a lesson in diplomacy for Thor; an opportunity to show him how to deal with people the family didn’t get along with without having to ultimately engage in bloodshed. 

 

But Thor didn’t trust them.  He never had.  And Ronan was a relatively young upstart that had sneakily climbed his way up in Thanos’ ranks.  Thor had had more than a few opportunities to interact with the slimy little cheat and he _hated_ him.   And when he saw Ronan that night, learning that he had moved his way up to second-in command and that Odin actually had to be _polite_ to this little creature, he had been unable to hold his tongue.  He had openly announced to his father that they shouldn’t trust Thanos and his crew, and had called them all deceitful wolves.  Thor suspected that the last exchange of drugs, a deal that had been personally handled by Ronan, had been cut, resulting in bad reactions.  It made it look like they sold bad product and it made their _family_ look bad. 

 

But Odin hadn’t been pleased by Thor’s candor, and before Thor knew what was happening, Odin had backhanded him, pain bursting across his face as the sharp edge of one of Odin’s rings caught him across the cheek.  It had been infuriatingly embarrassing.  Thor had been forced to remain in the meeting, even though all he wanted to do was break things, as Odin actually apologized to Ronan for his outburst.  Ronan had looked at Thor with a smirk as he concluded the meeting, declaring that maybe tonight wasn’t the best time for them to be talking about any deals seeing as how Odin’s own son seemed to not trust them.

 

Once Ronan had gone, Odin had roared and raged at him for over half an hour.  He didn’t care about Thor’s accusations; what he cared about was that those thoughts were aired in public.  If taking Ronan (or Thanos) out was ultimately necessary, they would do it.  But Borsons, Odin had said, _never_ showed that kind of emotion in front of the enemy, they kept their cards close to their chest.  Thor’s actions, however, had forced Odin to _apologize_ to a subordinate of a family he didn’t even respect.  Thor had forced them into a position of weakness.  And the one thing that stuck with Thor as he stormed out of the room was that Odin had said, in a calm and resolved voice, that Thor was still the “hot-head” he always knew him to be. 

 

And after hearing that all Thor had wanted to do was see a certain feisty brunette.  He didn’t want to drink and break things with his Warriors.  He didn’t want to call up some old conquest.  He wanted to see a bratty 15-year-old kid.  Hating his own weakness, he had driven around aimlessly for almost 20 minutes. But before he realized it, he found himself turning on to Osage Drive and parking two houses down from Loki’s.  

 

And now Thor definitely didn’t regret it.  He had a lapful of soft, warm, receptive _Loki_.  The boy smelled freshly-showered and whatever shampoo he used permeated the car; something that smelled like pomegranates.  His mouth was so sweet; hot and wet and wanting.  Thor had to stop himself from biting the boy’s lip as Loki let out the softest little moans and mewls.  Loki didn’t know enough to keep his voice down.  He wore his pleasure on his sleeve. And Thor could already feel the boy’s stiffening cock pressing into his stomach.   

 

Pulling away, Thor sat back and looked at Loki, taking him in.  As those big eyes fluttered open, Loki looked at him with a dazed and needy gaze, panting and squirming in his lap.  But then Loki frowned as he looked more closely at Thor’s face and reached out to stroke his cheek.  Thor froze, not expecting the touch.

 

“What… What happened to your face?” Loki asked as he gently touched the tender skin under Thor’s eyes.  And then Thor remembered. He probably had a cut there and most likely a bruise. 

 

Thor frowned and grabbed Loki’s hand, pulling it away from his face. 

 

“Nothing,” he snapped.

 

He didn’t come here to be fussed over.  He wasn’t some little kid who was going to cry over a bruised face.  He had gotten much worse over the years.  He barely even felt this one now. 

 

“But… how’d you get this cut?  It looks like it really hurts,” Loki continued, looking at Thor with something like…worry?

 

Thor growled in frustration, pushing Loki back until the boy was braced up against the steering wheel and Loki let out a gasp of surprise.

 

“I didn’t come here for that,” Thor said. “I came here for you to get me off.”

 

He smirked at Loki, feeling like being mean on purpose, but Loki didn’t glare at him or tense up, as if he was ready to fight, as usual.  Instead Loki just continued to look at him with those wide eyes, as if he was seeing something on Thor’s face that Thor wasn’t aware of being there.  Before Thor could demand to know what he was looking at, Loki’s eyes dropped demurely down to their laps and Thor watched on as the boy reached out to the buckle of Thor’s belt.

 

Loki was doing what he was told?  Without putting up any fight?  Instead, Loki looked like he wanted to comfort him.  And Thor had never really seen that expression on anyone’s face.  It was foreign and unexpected and… it was fucking him up. 

 

“Shit,” Thor cursed, frustrated with himself for feeling that way.

 

Loki looked confused, but then Thor was grabbing him by the waist and turning him until Loki was laid flat on his back on the passenger seat with Thor looming over him, knees up around Thor’s waist.  Loki stared up at him with startled, wide eyes, and all Thor wanted to do was kiss him. 

 

And so he did.

 

Loki gasped against his lips, arms coming up to lock around Thor’s wide back and knees pressing close around his waist. Thor couldn’t help it as he pressed his hips down, grinding against Loki. Loki let out a series of sweet moans, blowing hot puffs of air against Thor’s lips.     Panting, Thor’s hand snaked down in between them and palmed at the front of Loki’s shorts, feeling the boy’s obvious erection.  He wanted to hear more of those moans. He suddenly didn’t care that he wasn’t going to get what he had originally come here for.  This was good enough. 

 

Then his hand was sliding down into the elastic waistband of Loki’s shorts and pulling out his stiff cock, stroking it.  He watched with rapt attention as Loki squeezed his eyes shut and tossed his head back, exposing his long, pale neck.  And Thor’s mouth was drawn there, almost as if second nature, pressing hot kisses against the exposed skin.  He could already tell he was going to leave the boy red and marked, the idea of it making his own cock pulse. 

 

Loki’s grip on his back tightened as he began to thrust his hips up to meet the slow and steady strokes of Thor’s fist around his cock.  Loki was so wanton and open under him.  Thor knew he could do whatever he wanted and Loki wouldn’t stop him.  But all he really wanted right now was to make Loki come.  The sight of Loki writhing under him, so needy for it, was making Thor so hard.  Groaning, Thor reached down with his free hand to fumble with the buckle of his belt and after a few clumsy seconds he was pulling down his own zipper and pulling his cock out. 

 

Taking them both in one hand, he began to stroke them in tandem and Loki let out a little squeal of surprise.  But then it turned into a long, throaty moan, eyes moving rapidly behind his lids as he tried to control himself.  But Thor didn’t want that. He wanted Loki to come undone. 

 

He brought his lips back to Loki’s, sucking and nibbling at the boy’s bottom lip and Loki let out a pitiful mewl as if he was overwhelmed with the sensations pouring over him.  Pulling back, Thor moved to kiss a trail from Loki’s jaw to his ear, licking and biting the skin in his wake.  His hand never stopped for a moment, stroking them both in a tight, hot grip. 

 

“You’re gonna come for me,” he whispered, breath warm and moist against Loki’s ear.

 

Loki let out a groan, knees squeezing Thor’s waist. His hips were thrusting up frantically, as if trying to get more friction, but Thor maintained his leisurely pace.

 

“Easy,” Thor said as he continued to nibble on Loki’s ear lobe.  “You’ll come just from thinking about what I’m going to do to you the next time I get you alone, baby.”

 

Loki whimpered, hips bucking upward.  Staring down at him, Thor thought he could almost see tears forming at the corners of his tightly-squeezed shut eyelids.  Smirking he decided to take pity on him.

 

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered, tongue darting out to sweep along Loki’s neck.

 

Loki’s eyes fluttered open, watery, just as Thor had expected.

 

“Fa-faster,” Loki gasped. “Please. Please. I need to-”

 

And Thor didn’t even wait for him to finish as he increased his pace, the added friction making him groan as well.  He listened to Loki gasp and moan as he brought him closer and the sounds made his own cock throb almost painfully.  And it was only a few short moments before he felt the tell-tale tightening of the boy’s body as Loki’s orgasm approached. 

 

“Thor, Thor, _Thor_ ,” Loki moaned, words spilling from his lips almost like a mantra, right before he came.

 

And the sound of his name so needy on the boy’s lips had Thor’s body tensing up as he was hit by his own orgasm.  He groaned as he spilled, come splattering across Loki’s quivering stomach.

 

The car was silent except for the sounds of their heavy breathing as they both tried to catch their breaths.  Thor recovered first, looking down at Loki splayed out beneath him, hair damp at his temples and splayed out behind him on the seat, cheeks flushed, lips swollen from their kisses. Come was covering his stomach and shirt.  The boy was a mess. Thor had made him that way.  And he felt a hot surge of possessiveness come over him.

 

Sighing, he shifted off of him, moving back to the driver’s side.  Loki lazily opened his eyes, feeling the loss of Thor’s presence, and pushed himself up to a seated position.  He looked over at Thor, somewhat at a loss for words.  Thor had been…different just now.  Loki didn’t know what to say, but his chest felt tight for some reason. Like his heart was trying to squeeze out of it.   

 

“Go to bed,” Thor said, voice breaking through the silence in the car.

 

“Huh?” Loki asked dumbly.

 

“You heard me.  We’re done. So you can go back in the house,” Thor said without looking at him.

 

Loki’s eyebrows rose and he stared at Thor in confusion. 

 

“Um… okay. I— Ah… never mind.  Good night, I guess?” Loki mumbled as he opened the door.

 

By the time his feet hit the sidewalk, Thor was already starting the engine.  Loki looked back in at him and saw that Thor was watching him, an unreadable expression on his face.  Then, as if he caught himself, Thor straightened up and winked at him.

 

“I’m sure that’ll keep you satisfied until the next time I see you.  I know how lonely you get without me,” he teased. 

 

Loki flushed and frowned as he slammed the door shut. 

 

He could hear Thor laughing, and then watched as the truck pulled away from the curb.  As he drove away, Loki stood there staring after him, wondering what he was really signing himself up for.       

 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:  Thanks so much to all of you for being so patient and encouraging between updates. I know it’s been almost 2 months and I am SO sorry about that D:  But it’s summer now and _hopefully_ writing will come a lot more quickly!  And thanks to Sarah for beta-reading as always!

* * *

Loki sighed heavily as he looked up at his ceiling.  He was lying haphazardly across his bed, headphones on, with some current indie rock playlist floating in to his ears. But he couldn't pay it much attention. 

 

He felt disgruntled. 

 

Things had been somewhat… tense with his father lately. On top of the fact that Loki was currently dealing with the _very_ confusing feelings he was harboring for Thor, he was also dealing with the fact that he was getting into almost constant fights with his father whenever he saw him.  And seeing him was few and far between. That was part of the whole problem in the first place. 

 

Despite everything Laufey said about making sure that things were going to be “different” here, he was falling back into his old habits.  He missed dinner more often than not and when he _was_ home, he spent more time arguing on the phone with clients and other attorneys than he spent actually talking to Loki.  Loki found himself getting snippy with his father in the rare moments the man was around, and more often than not what started as simple conversations would blow up into screaming matches.

 

Loki wasn’t that out of touch with himself not to realize that he was picking fights on _purpose_ ; anything just to get his father’s attention.  But he wondered why _Laufey_ couldn’t see that.  It made him feel as if he didn’t matter. 

 

And the biggest issue of contention that had led to a number of recent fights was the problem of Laufey’s “lady friend.” 

 

Regardless of what his father had said, Loki knew that part of the reason they had picked up and moved to this god-forsaken town was because the woman Laufey had been seeing sporadically over the last year or so lived close by.  Laufey had met her during some business conference. 

 

Loki hadn’t really paid much attention to the story of how they met; hearing about the wonderful world of tax law always made his eyes glaze over.  But by the time Loki _had_ started to pay attention, his father was already taking little weekend trips across the country to spend time with this mystery woman.  Back in New York, Loki had still been able to ignore it.  If Laufey was gone for a weekend, that just meant a sleepover or getting up to some kind of trouble for the weekend with his friends.  And by the time Laufey came back on Sunday night, all bright-eyed and “smitten” (as Loki had termed it), Loki was already throwing himself into his school-week and there was never any time (or need) to talk about it. 

 

Back then, Loki had figured things with this woman weren’t serious.  She wasn’t brought up often, and, really, Laufey only saw her if they came across each other on business trips or the few times he would take a weekend away to go visit her.  Loki really did believe they were just friends.  And, if anything, maybe Laufey had some type of middle-aged crush on her.  But he didn’t figure it’d actually _go_ anywhere. 

 

But when his father had flippantly said, “And you’ll finally get to meet Jarnsaxa in person!  She lives only about an hour away from the town we’ll be moving to,” as one of the _plus_ factors when he was trying to convince Loki about how _great_ it would be to move him away from all his friends, and right in the middle of high school on top of everything, Loki had pitched a fit.  A royal fit.

 

But he had been forced to meet her anyway. 

 

About three months before they were set to move, Jarnsaxa had been in New York for a business meeting and Laufey had brought her over.  To the house.  Without telling Loki. 

 

He had been forced to sit through dinner with a woman he had had no intention of _ever_ meeting. So Loki had pouted, and had been snide in the few instances he did choose to respond to her questions, all throughout dinner. 

 

However, Loki was very much aware of the fact that he was being unfair.  Jarnsaxa seemed nice enough.  She was pretty, and had a warm smile. With dark hair cut into a fashionable bob, and dark-rimmed glasses, she gave off a cool vibe.  She even worked in a less-boring area of tax than his father did.  On top of that, she also seemed to have a good sense of humor.  But Loki was angry at his father, and so he had shut her down every time she tried to get close to him. 

 

It had been just him and his father ever since Farbauti died. 

 

Loki didn’t know what Laufey was thinking when he tried to get Loki to “like” her.  Did he think he suddenly wanted—or _needed_ —a new mom?  The thought made him feel like retching.  It was absurd.  If Laufey thought Loki would be excited about the fact that his father was dating he could go fuck himself.  All this was doing was making Loki feel like Laufey was trying to forget about his mother.  And Loki wasn’t ready to forget about her just yet…

 

Groaning as he rolled on to his stomach, Loki punched at his pillows.  It wasn’t like he _wanted_ to be this unreasonable, moody, and downright bratty.  But Laufey just infuriated him sometimes.  He was so out of touch and holier than thou sometimes that Loki felt like they would never see eye to eye or understand each other.  And other times, Laufey was the dad that Loki remembered from back when his mom was still alive.  But, right now?  Right now, Laufey definitely felt like the “enemy.” 

 

It was only mid-morning on a Saturday and Loki had already gotten into a fight with his father.  Laufey was apparently going to be home that day—surprise, surprise—and had come in to his room to inform Loki of this that morning.   He had asked Loki if he wanted to do something that day, but Loki had snippily responded that he already _had_ plans and that Laufey couldn’t expect him just to sit around dying of boredom until he deigned to find some time for him. 

 

Well, Loki hadn’t said it _quite_ that eloquently and, seemingly to avoid blowing a gasket, Laufey had walked out of the room telling Loki to come down to breakfast when he was feeling a little more respectful.

 

Loki had laid in bed for almost 2 hours after that—unable to go back to sleep and starting to find it harder and harder to ignore his growing hunger.   He figured now was about as good a time as any to show his face. Besides, he hadn’t been lying when he said he had plans that day.  He was supposed to meet Tony and Bruce over at Tony’s house.  And it was already close to noon.

 

Grumbling to himself, Loki pushed himself to his hands and decided to face the day.    

* * *

When Loki walked into the kitchen, dressed and with a backpack slung over his shoulder, he saw his father at the small kitchen table, opened newspaper blocking his face as he raised a cup of coffee to his lips. 

 

Ignoring him for the time being, Loki made his way over to the fridge to forage for something to eat.  He paused for a second when he saw a saran-wrapped plate with eggs, bacon and toast, but chose to bypass it so he didn’t give his father the satisfaction of watching him eat it.  Instead, he went for the large container of fruit salad, liking that he could see grapes along with nice chunks of pineapple, honeydew and watermelon through the plastic.  Pulling it out of the fridge, Loki spooned some out into a bowl and popped the container back into the fridge. 

 

Quietly he made his way over to the table and sat down across from Laufey, the sound of the chair scraping on the tile the only sound that had passed through the kitchen in the last few minutes. 

 

Sighing, Laufey placed his newspaper down and looked at Loki with an eyebrow arched. 

 

“Is that all you’re eating?” Laufey asked.

 

Loki huffed to himself, choosing not to look at Laufey.

 

“I’ll be fine.  I’m going to meet up with my friends in a little bit.  I’ll just eat something there,” Loki said as he popped a piece of the sweet pineapple into his mouth.  He watched disinterestedly as the sticky juice trickled over his freshly painted, dark-green nails.

 

“Hmm…” was all Laufey said, as he picked the paper back up again. 

 

A few more moments of silence passed through the kitchen as Loki ate more of the fruit, before Laufey spoke again.    

 

“So you’ve made some friends in town, huh?” Laufey asked as he looked up at Loki over the top of his newspaper.

 

What bugged Loki more than anything was that Laufey decided to “parent” at the most random moments.  He went days without checking on Loki and then suddenly when Laufey _was_ home and Loki announced he was going “out,” Laufey wanted to play the role of concerned parent? 

 

Loki raised an eyebrow at his father, not even trying to hide the surly expression on his face.

 

“How nice of you to notice,” he responded.

 

Laufey frowned, but ignored the bait.

 

“If you’ve made friends with some kids in the town, you know you can bring them over here,” Laufey continued.

 

Loki rolled his eyes and went back to stuffing grapes in his mouth. 

 

“Bring them over here?  Why?  It sounds like a warzone around here with this nonstop construction.  And this house is so old barely anything _works_.  I’m not bringing people over here,” Loki muttered. 

 

“It’s not that bad, Loki,” Laufey said on a sigh as he looked back down at the pages in front of him. “Besides, the boys did a nice job restoring the pool.  And Thor will start working on the air conditioning system this week.  You don’t really have that much to complain about.”

 

Loki still never understood why Laufey always referred to Thor and his friends as “boys.”  Yes, they were probably a good 20 years younger than _Laufey_ , but they were big, burly, bearded men.  There was nothing _boyish_ about them.  And that immediately had Loki thinking about Thor, the golden stallion that he was, and he had to force himself not to blush.  He had to stay on track.  He was supposed to be mad at his father, not fantasizing about _Thor_.

 

“Believe me, my friend’s house is way nicer than this.  He’s not going to want to come over here,” Loki grumbled, eyes now averted for a different reason. 

 

Laufey looked up from the paper again.

 

“I highly doubt any teenage boy has the wherewithal to be snobby about this house, Loki,” he said with an exasperated edge to his voice. 

 

“He’s not just some teenage boy; he’s _Tony Stark_ ,” Loki said, as if it should mean something to his father. 

 

Loki would never let _Tony_ hear him say something like that, though. It was likely the older boy’s head would explode from its inability to contain his over-inflated ego upon hearing it.  But, Loki couldn’t deny that there were some advantages to having privileged friends. 

 

“Tony Stark?” Laufey asked, the name clearly unfamiliar to him.

 

Loki rolled his eyes as he pushed the remainder of his breakfast away.

 

“Tony is only _the_ richest kid in town,” Loki explained.  “Needless to say things are much cooler over at his place.”

 

Laufey huffed and rolled his eyes.

 

“I didn’t know you were so materialistic Loki,” he said offhandedly.

 

Loki frowned. 

 

“I didn’t say I liked it over there _only_ because of the stuff he has,” Loki said snippily.  “There’s never anyone _here_ , so of course I’d rather spend my time with my friends.  The few of those I even _have_ now that you made me leave all of my other friends behind!” 

 

Laufey paused, looking up at Loki with guilty eyes. 

 

“Loki-” he began, but Loki didn't let him get very far.

 

“Forget it!” Loki said, abruptly getting to his feet. “I’m going out.  See you later.”  

 

“When will you be back?” Laufey asked.

 

Angrily, Loki raised the bag he had previously had over his shoulder and shook it in his father’s face.

 

“I’m staying over at Tony’s tonight, so you don’t have to worry about trying to think up something to do with me,” he snapped.

 

“Loki, you know, it’s not by choice that I haven’t been around,” Laufey tried.  “It’s a new job.  There’re a lot of things going wrong with this transition.  I’m trying my best.” 

 

“Trying your best, huh?  When’s the last time you even _asked_ me what I do with my day?  If you haven’t forgotten, I’m _fifteen_. I could be getting up to a whole bunch of crazy shit and you wouldn’t even know!  How do you know I don’t have a drug habit or something,” Loki said nastily. 

 

Laufey’s eyes narrowed and suddenly he looked very much like the “dad” Loki remembered when his parents used to play “good cop, bad cop.”

 

“Loki, are you-” Laufey began before Loki rolled his eyes and cut him off.

 

“ _Jesus Christ_ , Dad, of course I’m not!  But you wouldn’t know even if I _was_ ,” Loki complained.

   

No, Loki wasn’t doing drugs, but what he had going with Thor felt just as dangerously addicting.  A nasty part of him felt like telling his father what he _really_ got up to in his free time.  That, when his father wasn’t around, he let a 25 year old man, who was also very likely a criminal, touch him. Kiss him. And lick him.  And that he let him touch parts of his body that Loki had never let anyone else touch before.  That Loki _liked_ it when Thor touched him. And that he liked touching Thor back. 

 

Just to see what Laufey’s reaction would be. 

 

But Loki also didn’t want to bring an end to what he had going with Thor (whatever that was, exactly).  And he knew that as soon as he uttered the words—as soon as he even _hinted_ at something like that going on—Laufey would put a stop to it immediately.  Laufey might sometimes be an absent father, but he was fiercely protective, often to the point of babying him, and if Laufey knew someone was taking “advantage” of his baby, well… Loki wasn’t sure he wanted to see the aftermath of that.  In a battle between Thor and Laufey, Loki was pretty confident Laufey wouldn’t win.  He didn’t want to see either one of them get hurt. And he didn’t want to give Thor a reason to ignore him again, or Laufey a reason to take him away from Thor. 

 

So Loki held his tongue.  He might be impulsive, and emotional, and sometimes driven by spite, but he was smart enough to know when enough was enough.  And Laufey was sighing, as if the whole conversation was taking years off his life. They both were finding the circumstances less than ideal. 

 

“Loki, I know you’re a little angry at me right now.  But please don’t think I’m not thinking of you every day.  Did you know… did you know that when I get home late at night, and you’re sleeping, that I still come in and kiss you goodnight?” Laufey admitted somewhat reluctantly.

 

Loki felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

 

“What? Dad!  Gross,” he complained. 

 

But he couldn’t deny that he was surprised by that.  He was also now extremely grateful that he always slept with his phone under his pillow; the texts Thor had been sending him lately—often in the late hours of the night—had been increasingly perverted.  The thought caused him to avert his eyes. 

 

Laufey smiled at him, probably thinking Loki was feeling bashful over the show of affection.  But that was a bit off the mark. 

 

“I know you may think I don’t care.  But you’re still my little boy, Loki,” Laufey explained.  “I appreciate how autonomous you are. And how mature you’ve been about this move and trying to find your place here.  I wish I could’ve done more to help you get adjusted, but I’m proud that you’ve found some friends and things that make you happy.”

 

Loki felt his cheeks burn hotter, but now it was out of shame.

 

“So, go out and have fun with your friends.  You can stay over tonight, even though you haven’t actually _asked_ for permission,” Laufey said with a feigned look of chastisement.  “I think you deserve to have fun.” 

 

“O-okay… Thanks, Dad,” Loki found himself grumbling.

 

He threw his bag back over his shoulder and waved quickly to his father as he turned toward the kitchen door.  Before he could make his way out, his father called out to him.

 

“And remember to be good, Loki!” Laufey said.

 

“I always am!” Loki shouted back, not wanting to think about how much that often wasn’t very true.     

* * *

Hours later, Loki was regretting having agreed to spend the night at Tony’s house. 

 

He regretted a lot of the things he did with Tony, if he was really honest with himself.  But now, based on what was coming out of the older boy’s mouth, Loki was definitely thinking he had picked a somewhat deranged person to call his “friend.”

 

“I’m _telling_ you, it’ll be easy!  Let’s gooooo,” Tony whined as he sat back in his chair, groaning his exasperation.

 

“I think it’s an awful idea, and there’s no way we’ll actually get in,” Loki said, feeling just as exasperated.  “I don’t want to make the effort to go all the way out there only to have to turn back around.”

 

“We won’t _have_ to.  Why do you have such little faith in me?  And, besides, getting to the city only takes like half an hour.  Even less than that when _I’m_ driving,” Tony said with a wink.  “Don’t act like I’m asking you to leave the freaking state.” 

 

Loki groaned and looked over to Bruce for some help, but the other boy seemed to be pointedly ignoring them as he typed away on his computer as usual. 

 

“You’re just a little chicken.  What other reason would you have for _not_ wanting to go to the hottest nightclub in this town on a Saturday night,” Tony asked with an eyebrow raised.  “You always whine about how boring this town is, and now when I’m giving you an opportunity to _not_ be as lame as usual, you’re giving me a hard time?”

 

Loki glared at him. 

 

He had been having this conversation with Tony for the last twenty minutes.  Tony had had the brilliant idea that they should all get dressed up and go to a club in the city called “The Realm.”  According to Tony it was where all the young who’s who spent their weekend nights.  However, from what Loki could surmise, it sounded like Tony himself had never been there.  The whole conversation in itself was pretty unreasonable. 

 

Loki knew the boy had boasted about wanting to do it the last time they hung out, but Loki had thought it was all talk.  Tony was, for the most part, an all talk kind of guy.  But when Loki walked into his house earlier that day there had been a bit of a manic glint in Tony’s eyes.  It was clear that _Tony_ was really the one who was bored out of his mind, and he had made it his primary goal to rope Loki into whatever he had planned for that evening, no matter how poorly thought out that plan was.   

 

But trying to talk sense into Tony was pretty pointless.  It didn’t seem to matter that Loki wasn’t all that interested in _going_ to clubs, the reasons for which he had listed out to Tony although they seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.  For Loki, clubs were always too loud, and he hated how drunk people spilled things everywhere (including, often, on _him_ ).  However, Loki couldn’t deny that there were a few attractive elements to Tony’s idea.  Loki had not yet been to the “city” since he had moved here.  Further, he felt like being a little reckless that night.  He was torn between still being a bit angry at his father and feeling _guilty_ about being angry at his father, and he didn’t really want to think about either one.  Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go out, get a little wasted, and try to have some fun? 

 

But he wasn’t going to make it _totally_ easy for Tony.  He didn’t want to see the boy’s smug look.

 

“Fine,” Loki finally conceded as he crossed his arms over his chest.  “But, only if you can get Bruce to go too.”

 

Hearing his name mentioned, Bruce looked up from his computer and shot Loki an incredulous look.

 

“Sure. Done. He’s coming,” Tony said, as if it was the simplest thing. 

 

“Um, what?  I’m most definitely going to stay home,” Bruce said quickly.  “Don’t drag me into this.” 

 

“You can’t leave me with him,” Loki complained. 

 

“I am _not_ the type to go a club, you guys,” Bruce said shaking his head.  “You two will be totally fine without me.” 

 

“Shut up, Bruce.  You act like I’ve never gotten you to come out with me before,” Tony said as he grinned at him. 

 

“That is exactly what I’m remembering.  I was drunk out of my mind and it’s not an experience I want to repeat, thank you very much,” Bruce grumbled.

 

Loki looked at the older boy with surprise.  He couldn’t really imagine the straight-laced, mild mannered Bruce being “drunk out of his mind.”

 

Tony snickered.

 

“Yeah, that was actually pretty hilarious.  Banner’s a monster when he’s hammered, kid,” Tony said as he nudged Loki. 

 

“But, Brucie, you _are_ going," Tony said as he turned back toward him. "If you ever want to use my lab again, that is.”  

 

Bruce glared at him, and the two boys engaged in a stare off for a few seconds before Bruce finally gave a hefty sigh and raised his hands in defeat. 

 

“Perfect.  So no more excuses, Loki, we’re going to The Realm!” Tony said, grin bigger than Loki had ever seen it before.

 

Loki decided he did _not_ like that look.

 

“But...you’re not exactly _dressed_ to go out,” Tony said as he frowned a bit and gave Loki’s tank and skinny jeans a discerning look.  “You kind of look especially your age today.”  

 

“Well _sorry_ ,” Loki snapped.  “You didn’t tell me we’d be trying to sneak into a club tonight.  Without any fake IDs, mind you.”

 

“Meh, don’t worry about the IDs,” Tony said with a wave of his hand.  “Who do you think I am? I can whip up any kind of government-issued ID that I want to.  You just happen to have a baby-face.  It doesn’t help to have ID when they won’t even take it ‘cause you look so young.”

 

Loki glared at him. 

 

“ _But_ ,” Tony continued, seeing that Loki had had quite about enough, “we just need to make you look a little older. Let me see what I can do.”

 

The grin that Tony gave him made Loki shudder. 

* * *

Thor downed his drink as he looked disinterestedly out across the bar.  It was his third for the night and he knew he probably should pace himself if he didn’t want to get so buzzed that he wouldn’t be able to shoot straight if the need to use his gun arose that night.  Right now he was in the “sweet spot” between relaxed and tipsy.  But boredom often led to bad decisions.

 

And right now Thor was pretty _bored_.  He was waiting for a meeting with a new “business” partner.  It was a relationship that had been brokered by the Romanova family.  Someone Natasha’s father had thought would bring good business to the Borsons, as long as the Romanovas got a cut of some of the action.  It all seemed like a pretty good deal, in Thor’s opinion.  But Thor wasn’t impressed that this guy was making him _wait_.  He was already almost an hour late.  The only thing keeping Thor from storming out was that Natasha was waiting with him and she was somehow especially good at keeping him calm. 

 

At the moment, she was making a phone call outside, and had left Thor waiting at the bar of one of the Romanova’s many front locations, in case their tardy associate showed up.  

 

To keep himself busy (and stop his idle hands from asking for another drink), Thor had begun scrolling through his phone.  And he wasn’t surprised that after a few minutes of feigned interest in social media, he ended up in his text messages.  Aside from texting, he hadn’t seen Loki in person for the last few days.  It was clear from the first couple awkward messages that Loki had no idea how to “sext.”  The boy was, however, becoming very good at turning him on without even knowing it, and Thor would find himself returning to the text threads in his free time.  

 

Thor had felt a little awkward following their hook-up session in the car a few days ago.  He didn’t know what had come over him.  And the image of Loki looking at him with wide eyes, lips swollen and hair tousled, as he stood outside Thor’s car had stayed with him.  He wasn’t supposed to be getting sympathetic about the little minx. That wasn’t what this was about.  And he hadn’t liked the feelings that had come over him when he had been hovering over the boy in the tight confines of his car, their breaths mingling. How hearing Loki pant his name and squeeze his shoulders desperately had made him want to grab on to him tight and not let go.  It was pathetic. 

 

So Thor had been somewhat grateful that his father had sent him on another out of town assignment.  He hadn’t had to face Loki, and it had been a useful reprieve to help sort his thoughts out. To help remind himself of who he _was_. 

 

He wasn’t some sniveling fool. 

 

He didn’t need to be “comforted.” 

 

And he definitely didn’t _do_ romance. 

 

Thor considered himself a warrior; emotionless and willing to do anything for the “family.”  People talked of him going “berserk” when he got angry enough.  That he was almost otherworldly.  And he had the brawn and ruthlessness to back it up.  And sometimes?  Sometimes he was even a killer.  Killers didn’t get all messed up in the head because some fifteen-year-old brat looked at him with teary eyes.   

 

And Loki needed to know that.  So Thor had strategically avoided mentioning what had happened in the car.  Instead, he texted Loki filthy things; things he knew would make the boy blush up to his roots, but would also get him hard and needy in a matter of seconds. Things about what he wanted to do to Loki the next time he saw him.  About what he expected _Loki_ to do.  And about how much he knew the boy would like it.  And while Loki’s responses were always hesitant, they had become more and more eager, and Thor had been pleased with the progress.  It appeared Loki was more honest when Thor couldn’t see his face. 

 

The boy was smart, never really showing his cards, so to speak.  But if Thor pressed, Loki would respond teasingly, saying things like “Only if you ask nicely.”  And the thought of it made a delicious shiver run up Thor’s spine.  But even though he had become a bit bolder in his responses, Loki still never initiated the texts.  Thor imagined he was probably still a little bit too shy; a little uncertain in his command of his sexuality to actually be the one doing the enticing.  But that was something Thor was looking forward to changing.  Just the idea of having the saucy little brat say something like “Please fuck me,” made Thor tremble.  The thought of getting filthy things to come out of that perfect little mouth, well… that shiver down Thor’s spine would become a full-body quake. 

 

It wasn’t lost on him that he was really getting off on being Loki’s first everything.  The boy admitted to being a virgin, but it was even more than that.  Thor knew from how hesitantly and inexpertly the boy had kissed him that he was Loki’s first “real” kiss.  His was the first cock the boy had ever tasted; probably the first he had ever _seen_.  His fingers were the first that had ever been inside of him.  And Thor knew he was the only one who had ever seen Loki at his most undone; all glistening eyes and heaving chest. 

 

Thor couldn’t wait to claim him, fully and completely.  If Loki thought he didn’t belong to Thor already, he sure wouldn’t have any doubt of that once they had fucked.  Thor would make sure of that. 

 

“You do know you’re leering at your phone like some kind of pervert right now, don’t you?  I hope you’re not looking at nudes in public,” Natasha said, cutting into his thoughts.

 

Looking up at the bombshell redhead as she stood there with one hand on her hip giving him an unimpressed look, Thor had the sense to at least appear somewhat embarrassed as he shoved his phone into his back pocket.

 

Natasha rolled her eyes but smirked at him anyway.  

 

“If that isn’t confirmation, I don’t know what is,” she teased.

 

Thor laughed.

 

“What, you jealous, Romanova?  I can make some room for you too if you want?” he teased back, eyebrow raised and smug grin challenging her. 

 

“Nice, Thor,” she said, eye roll more cutting this time.  “Get your mind out of the gutter and get in gear.  Our guy is here.”

 

That caused Thor to straighten up and his lewd expression to drop.

 

“What’s his situation?” he asked, seriously.

 

Natasha appeared exasperated, but at the same time somewhat fond, as she thought over the question.  It was an expression Thor hadn’t really seen before.   

 

“He’s…kind of an idiot,” she said, with a short laugh.  “Every second word out of his mouth is some kind of joke.  It’s impossible to take him seriously. But, he’s apparently really great with intel on rare procurements.  Plus, I also hear he’s one hell of a marksman.  So the Borson family might find him beneficial to keep around.”

 

Thor frowned, eyebrow raised in confusion.

 

“I can’t tell if you’re saying you’re endorsing him or criticizing him right now,” he said.

 

“A little of both.  But, come on, you’ll understand what I mean when you meet Barton yourself,” she said as she gestured over her shoulder.  “I have him waiting in the Red Room.” 

 

Thor shrugged as he pushed himself to his feet, heavy boots hitting the sleek wooden floor. 

 

“And do me a favor?” Natasha asked as she turned around to look at him, a sleek eyebrow raised pointedly.

 

Thor paused, looking at her expectantly. 

 

“Try _not_ to sext your latest piece of tail while we’re having our meeting, ok?” she said, lips quirking up in a smirk.

 

Unamused, Thor shot a glare in her direction. 

 

“I’ll try my best,” he muttered as he followed her out of the room.   

* * *

Loki was learning a lot of things through his friendship with Tony Stark.  One of the things he had learned with almost crystal clarity was that he was definitely _not_ attracted to Tony. He knew this because having the goateed mug of the self-proclaimed genius looming over him, so close that they were practically breathing the same air, made Loki feel the complete opposite of everything he felt when Thor did that.  In fact, it made him want to _punch_ said genius because the boy refused to get away. 

 

“Stop fighting me,” Tony complained.

 

“Why do you even _have_ eyeliner in the first place?!” Loki asked instead, sneering as he tried to push Tony’s hand, with the offensive eyeliner, away from his face.

 

“Don’t worry about that,” Tony said as he grabbed for Loki’s chin.  “Now just stay still so I can put this on.”

 

Loki scoffed as he succeeded in batting Tony’s hands away.  It wasn’t like Loki was shocked that Tony had eyeliner because he found something distasteful about it.  Loki owned some guyliner himself.  He just didn’t see _Tony Stark_ as the type to have it, and highly doubted Tony would know what to do with it.  He wasn’t about to let that over-confident guy paint him up to look like a raccoon.  So he snatched the tube out of his hands.

 

“I’ll do it myself,” Loki said with a sigh. 

 

Pushing to his feet, Loki strolled into Tony’s ensuite bathroom and shut the door behind him.  He didn’t put it past Tony to invite himself in.  Looking at himself, Loki turned his head from left to right to fully take in his appearance.  True to his word, Tony had demanded that Loki change.  And since Loki hadn’t brought any clothes for anything more than a lazy Saturday spent at a friend’s house, he found himself at Tony’s mercy. 

 

Tony had “allowed” Loki to keep his dark-wash skinny jeans because, according to Tony, it was the first pair he had seen Loki wear that _didn’t_ have rips or tatters on them.  Loki had taken offense to that, saying that his jeans were well-worn, not “tattered,” as Tony seemed to think.  But Tony had demanded that Loki trade his oversized screen-printed tank for a sleek black t-shirt, with a shimmery embellishment that when Loki moved, and the light hit it just so, he realized was animal print. _Leopard_ to be exact.  Loki rolled his eyes.  Yet another “big question:” why did Tony have this shirt and in a size that would fit _Loki_?  

 

But Loki had decided there was no point in fighting.  He was going to this club tonight.  So the least he could do was make it worth his while. 

 

He leaned over the bathroom sink as he unscrewed the tube of liquid eyeliner.  Pushing his hair back behind one ear with a huff of frustration, he remembered that Tony had stolen his hair tie.  His hair was currently framing his face in a bit of a messy, wavy halo.  Tony had pulled out his hair tie, releasing his hair from its earlier haphazard bun and had refused to give it back.  He had said he liked Loki’s sexy bed head. 

 

Loki tried not to roll his eyes and focused on concentrating on drawing a careful line across his eyelids.  Once he was satisfied, he stepped back to take in the overall look.  It had been a while since he had felt the urge to “get dressed up,” and even though Tony was a royal pain in the ass, Loki couldn’t deny that he was somewhat excited the older boy had convinced him to go out. 

 

Turning in a slow circle so he could check himself out, Loki decided that it actually wasn’t quite bad.  He thought he looked too skinny and wasn’t quite used to his shirt being so tight.  But he did like the way his butt looked in his jeans, now that the shape was actually visible for once. And with the carefree hair and edgy eyes, he did think he looked a little bit older, strangely enough.   

 

Staring at himself in the mirror, Loki suddenly found himself wondering what _Thor_ would think of him.  Would he like him better like this?  But then a sharp knock from the other side of the bathroom door jerked him out of his musings and caused him to blush, hating that he had been caught entertaining such stupid thoughts.

 

“Come on, stop preening in there, princess!  If we want to make sure we get in before the club hits capacity, we gotta leave now.  So move your ass!” Tony called through the door, pounding on it once more for effect.

 

Rolling his eyes (an action he found himself doing much more often now), Loki gave himself one more look over before he headed out the door.

* * *

Negotiations with Barton, who insisted on being called “Hawkeye,” had gone fairly well and while Thor thought the wise-cracking bespectacled smart-ass was probably a bit too big for his britches he also found him to be quite amusing.  So, after having shaken hands on their new venture, he had invited Barton to accompany him and Natasha to The Realm.  It would give him an opportunity to meet the Warriors Three, and maybe even Sif, if she decided to put her work down for a second and join them that night. 

 

Arriving at the club, the trio was ushered around to the back and entered through the VIP entrance.  This entrance led immediately to a private, roped off area filled with plush velour couches and booths, accompanied by its own premium bar.  The dance music from the outer portion of the club was a bit more muffled here, allowing for conversations and, more often than not, high stakes business transactions.

 

Immediately seeing Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral at their regular table, at one of the booths furthest in the back, Thor nodded toward them.  Guiding Natasha and Barton through the heavy line of bouncers that separated the general VIP section from the _exclusive_ VIP section, Thor was a few feet away from the table before Natasha put a hand on his arm and stopped him.  She smiled as she looped her other arm through Barton’s.

 

“Thor, make yourself useful and get us a round of drinks, won’t you?  I’ll introduce Clint here to your friends in the meantime,” she said, red lips quirking up in a smile.

 

Thor rolled his eyes, but nodded with a sigh.  Turning on his heel he headed back through the crowds and toward the bar.  It wasn’t like it was a big inconvenience. He was the son of the _owner_ after all.  Drinks were always on the house. 

 

When he arrived at the sleek glass bar, he nodded toward one of the regular bartenders and the man immediately stopped what he was doing to come over to him. 

 

“Nice to see you, Mr. Borson.  What can I do for you?” the man asked, eyes lighting up.

 

Before Thor opened his mouth, something from across the club caught his eye and his expression twisted into one of displeasure.   He had been in a relatively good mood when he had arrived but that quickly dissipated when he saw Ronan dispersing shots in the VIP section.  Thor watched shrewdly as the man grinned at the club patrons, shouting over and over again “drinks on me!” 

 

Thor glared.  This asshole was buying shots in _his_ club like he was the big dog there. 

 

Thor turned back to the nervous-looking bartender.

 

“Bottles of Moët to every table, courtesy of Thor Borson,” he said to the bartender in a clipped tone and the man nodded briskly.  “And then a round of Louis XIII for my friends.”

 

As the man rushed to prepare the order, Thor kept his eyes on Ronan.  He watched as the smarmy bastard went around shaking hands and introducing himself.  The people in the VIP section ranged from generally wealthy patrons, who could afford the table cover and wanted to appear special, to actually important business partners to the Borson family, and Thor was sure that Ronan’s generous offering wasn’t just to be friendly.  The man was trying to get in on business and Thor was surprised he would do it so blatantly.  

 

The guy really had a pair on him.  

 

But, owned by the Borson family or not, the place was still a legitimate business and unless Ronan caused trouble Thor had no right to toss him out.  Well, Thor probably could think up a reason—or _make_ one himself—but he was sure word would get back to Odin.  And knowing that his father was still annoyed with him after what had happened the _last_ time he and Ronan were in a room together, Thor knew it would be in his best interest to _not_ start anything with the bottom feeder. 

 

Scowling to himself, Thor turned back to the bar and forced himself to ignore Ronan’s antics.  At least for now. 

* * *

When they arrived at The Realm, Loki wasn’t very surprised when Tony’s “I can get in anywhere” ended up turning more into “I can _pay_ to get in anywhere.”  After standing in the line for almost half an hour, when they finally got to the door, the bouncer took one look at them and shook his head “no.”  Tony tried to sweet talk him a little bit, hinting that he was _the_ Tony Stark, but the bouncer had all but laughed in his face.  It took about 20 more minutes of Tony’s whining, and a wad of five $100 bills before the bouncer was lifting the velveteen rope and ushering them in with a firm warning to “behave.” 

 

Almost immediately, Tony was pushing them to the bar and ordering a round of tequila shots.  The bartender paused for a second, giving the three of them a suspicious look.  But then Tony was pulling another $100 bill out of his wallet and the bartender shrugged as he started to pour the libations.

 

Under Tony’s guidance, Loki had taken three shots of Patrón in quick succession before Tony had deemed them all relatively loosened up enough to make their way on to the dance floor.  Even with three shots in him, Bruce still seemed extremely hesitant.  So Tony had conceded to allow Bruce to stay at the bar as long as he promised to have another drink in the meantime.  To grow some “courage,” Tony had said.  Bruce had given him a deadpan look and Tony had lovingly patted him on the head. 

 

Then Tony grabbed Loki and all but dragged him to the dancefloor. 

* * *

Thor realized that there were definitely perks to being the son of the proprietor, but there were numerous drawbacks as well.  Whenever anything occurred that could result in having to get the cops involved, Thor was immediately called.  So when a fight broke out in the back parking lot, the bouncers had rushed to get Thor’s attention.  His friends had all stood up, offering to accompany him but Thor had waved down their concern.  A parking lot brawl was nothing to get worked up about.

 

Once Thor arrived outside, he could see two clearly drunk men tussling on the ground.  As two cars were blocking the parking lot, both still running, and with one car’s backend connected to the side of the other car, it was easy to see that the dispute had arisen from what looked to be a fender bender.  Quickly walking around the cars Thor could see that there didn’t seem to be much damage other than a slight ding.  If anything, the fight had probably arisen more from a battle of egos. 

 

Clapping his hands loudly, to get the attention of the scrapping men, Thor barked at them to get up.  The men continued to scream and snarl at each other, and within seconds Thor had instructed the bouncers to pull them apart.  Once the men came face to face with Thor’s serious expression, and even more intimidating physical presence, they both quieted down.  With his ice blue eyes trailing over both of them, he had calmly explained to them that they would quietly leave the premises and would not return, if they knew what was good for them.  When one of the men started to complain about the damage to his car, Thor had quickly gone in to his wallet and threw 10 crisp bills at him.  The man gaped as he scrambled to pick up the money. 

 

Thor made sure the bouncers knew to escort the men off of the premises before he turned and made his way to the front entrance.  He considered the disturbance well-handled.  A thousand dollars wasn’t a big deal if it meant it’d keep the cops from sniffing around.  They were holding a couple of kilos of coke in the basement of the club.  And cops were looking for any reason they could to get into a Borson establishment.  Letting some idiots call the cops just wasn’t worth it in the bigger scheme of things.  That was why Thor was saddled with the responsibility of “damage control.”  His father didn’t trust anyone else to have the best interests of the family in mind.  And while it was tedious, Thor appreciated that his father still had faith in him to do it. 

 

As he walked up to the club’s main entrance, he scoped out the number of people still standing and waiting to get in.  Stopping for a moment to whisper in the ear of the bouncer who was controlling the line, he instructed him to close the doors after the next 20 patrons.  The club was getting too full and the more people there were, the more likely it was that they'd run into more fights like the one he had just put an end to.  The bouncer nodded and opened the rope to allow Thor in.  A chorus of protests arose from the people waiting in line, the disgruntled guests feeling slighted that Thor had somehow been able to skip the line. Thor ignored them as the bouncer shouted for them all to quiet down. 

 

Walking into the packed club, Thor was bombarded by the heavy bass beats of some popular dance song.  He could see a sea of bodies gyrating on the crowded dance floor.  Not in the mood, he skirted around it on his way back to the VIP section.  But when he was almost past the floor he saw a flash of long dark hair out of the corner of his eye and he froze in surprise. 

 

There was no way he was now imagining seeing _Loki_ out in public, was there?  Doubting himself, he still turned toward the dancefloor and was shocked to see that he had been correct.

 

There was Loki, in some shimmery, clingy sleeveless top, hands in the air, swaying along to the music with a goofy grin on his face.   

 

And just like that, Thor was _seething_.  So many things were going through his mind at that second.  But then he saw some slimy creep sidle up behind him, fitting his hips against the boy’s narrow ones and _grind_ on him.  Thor saw red. 

 

Storming out on to the dancefloor, pushing aside anyone who was stupid enough not to move when they saw him coming, Thor quickly made his way over to Loki and the unknown dead-man.  Before Thor got there, he saw Loki turn around in surprise and move away from the interloper, but it was too late for Thor to care as he came up behind them.  Pushing the slimy guy away with a harder-than-necessary shove to his chest, Thor grabbed Loki by the wrist with his other hand.

 

Loki whipped around in surprise, already pulling his arm away from who he thought was a stranger, but when his eyes took in Thor’s less-than-pleased face he froze completely, like a deer in headlights.  Sneering, Thor tightened his grip and dragged Loki off the dancefloor, ignoring the angry shouts of the guy he had just shoved.   The bouncers in the club were good at their job.  For the most part they stayed discretely out of the way, often materializing when needed, as if out of thin air, and before Thor had even made it off the dancefloor with the still-struggling Loki in his grip one of the bouncers had come up next to Thor to ask if everything was alright.

 

“Get that asshole out of here. Immediately. Before I kill him,” Thor said angrily as he gestured with his thumb over his shoulder at the guy who had started to follow them, still shouting aggressively. 

 

Nodding, the bouncers moved toward the angry man, and Thor turned his back on the scene as he continued to drag Loki behind him.  Once they were as far away from the crush of the dancefloor as they would most likely get, Thor grabbed Loki by his biceps and pushed him up against the nearest wall. 

 

“Are you out of your damn mind??” Thor barked at him. 

 

Loki looked up at him with wide eyes, mouth practically hanging open. Thor was the _last_ person he was expecting to see there that night.  And he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to say.

 

“Wh-what are you doing here?” was the only intelligent thing Loki could manage. 

 

“My family _owns_ this club. It's my job to be here. _You’re_ the one who’s not supposed to be here,” Thor said, angry eyes searching Loki's.

 

Loki flinched.  He was so unused to this type of Thor.  Thor always talked to him with a cocky sense of self-assuredness.  He was often smug.  And if he was angry, it was often because he hadn’t gotten his way, his sense of entitlement clearly showing through.  But now, Thor looked genuinely angry—an anger that seemed to stem from worry and actual concern.  There was no playfulness in his demeanor. 

 

“I… I’m just. Uh. Here with friends. We’re… we wanted to have some fun,” Loki said meekly. 

 

“You’re 15!  How the hell did you even get in here?” Thor demanded, slamming his palm against the wall above Loki’s head in frustration and causing Loki to jump. 

 

“Uh- I… I mean, T-Tony… h-he gave the bouncer some cash, so-” Loki stuttered out, so startled he couldn’t even come up with a lie. 

 

“ _Tony_?” Thor asked, eyes growing darker. 

 

He knew that damn Stark kid was trouble.  And looking at Loki’s face, his hair slightly dampened around his temples and what looked to be eyeliner smudged around his bright green eyes, pupils suspiciously dilated, Thor realized that the boy was _drunk_.  He was sure that was Stark’s idea as well.  But that didn’t do anything to quell his anger. 

 

“You were _drinking_?” he asked sharply. "No wonder you let some grimy asshole put his hands on you." 

 

Loki frowned up at him, not liking this accusatory, paternalistic tone. 

 

“So what if I was drinking! We’re in a club with a _bar_ ,” Loki snapped back.  "And I didn’t _let_ that guy do anything to me, for your information.  But _so what_ if he wanted to dance with me? That doesn't _mean_ anything!"

 

Thor’s face twisted into a scowl, and it looked like he was preparing to literally snarl something back at Loki, when a voice called out to them.

 

“Thor Borson!” Tony said as he sidled up next to Thor, giving the pair an amused once-over. 

 

Glancing over his shoulder, Thor could see that Tony Stark and his friend Bruce Banner were standing next to them.  Tony looked like he was watching the latest episode of some trashy reality TV series.  Bruce just looked very uncomfortable.

 

“Funny running into you here.  And all pressed up to our little Loki, too?” Tony asked as he raised his eyebrows suggestively. “I was really surprised when I turned around and saw that Loki had disappeared.  If you weren’t so tall and blonde, I probably wouldn’t have been able to see you practically _dragging_ him off the floor.  Took us a little while to catch up to you guys, though.  What’d we miss?”

 

“Stop with the bullshit, Stark,” Thor growled, throwing an angry glare in his direction. “You know my family owns this club.  So what the hell are you doing here?  And why would you bring this _kid_ here?”

 

Loki didn’t like the way Thor was talking about him.  Suddenly Loki was a “kid?”  Suddenly he was too young to do “grown up” things like go to a damn club with his friends and _drink_?  This was the same guy who had cornered him in his pantry, to do decidedly _grown up_ things to him, when his father was just in the other room.  Thor did not get the right to treat him like a kid.

 

But Loki's displeased expression was lost on Thor, who was still glaring at Tony and his taunting jibes, even though Thor's hands never loosened their grip on Loki's arms, as if he didn't want to give Loki the chance to get away.

 

“Poor Loki wanted to have some fun," Tony said, grinning.  "Who am I to deny him that?  It should be a testament to your family’s great influence that I decided to bring him here.”

 

Thor's expression darkened. He often wanted to wring the young Stark’s neck whenever he had the displeasure of running into him, but tonight the urge was more salient than usual. 

 

“Are you an actual idiot, Stark?  This isn’t a game!  I’ve told you to stay away from this type of shit.  And instead of listening to me, you bring this kid _here_??” Thor barked, voice leaving no room for nonsense. 

 

Tony’s smug smile fell at Thor’s sharp tone, and before Loki could get a word in edgewise, another voice interrupted their conversation.  It seemed that they were drawing a lot of unwanted attention. 

 

“What’s going on here, Thor?” a familiar voice asked and Thor flinched.  It was the _last_ voice he wanted to hear right now.

 

 Looking over his shoulder, he could see Ronan, flanked by two of his own goons, looking at Thor with derision but also with a hint of pleasure in his eyes.

 

“Oh, so this is what you’re in to?” Ronan asked, looking Loki up and down, the smirk on his face widening with his appraisal. 

 

Loki flinched under the man’s gaze.  He was probably around the same height as Thor, but something about him appeared more sinister.  His eyes looked _dead_.  They were nothing like Thor’s, whose bright blue eyes showed a range of never-ending emotions.  Instead, this man looked like nothing mattered to him, and that made him feel dangerous.  Loki didn’t like that his attention was now on _him_. 

 

Thor immediately let go of Loki’s arms and stood to his full height, facing Ronan, and purposefully blocking Loki from his view. 

 

“This has nothing to do with you, Ronan,” Thor said gruffly.  “And if you knew what was good for you, you wouldn’t try to get in my face right now.”  

 

Ronan smirked, looking amused, but Loki could see that the emotion still didn’t reach his eyes.

 

“Oh, is that so?  Did I strike a chord there?” Ronan asked as he moved to the side to take a good look at Loki again.  “I was going to ask if you suddenly joined Big Brothers of America, but seeing as how you’re getting your panties all in a twist, I’m inclined to think this kid may be… something else?”

 

Thor glowered at him.

 

“Don’t hurt yourself trying to think too hard.  These are a bunch of kids from the town.  One of which is the son of one of my father’s _construction_ clients,” Thor said, giving Ronan a warning look.  “They were just leaving.” 

 

Ronan didn’t seem convinced, and with a grin, he reached his hand out to Loki. 

 

“Ronan,” he said, by way of introduction.  “And you would be?”

 

Before Loki could open his mouth, Thor shoved Ronan’s hand away, stepping in front of him again. 

 

“Since you seem to have some business with me, let’s go to the backroom,” Thor said, holding Ronan’s unwavering stare.  Ronan smirked and nodded. 

 

“And, you three?” Thor barked over his shoulder, not even bothering to spare them a glance.  “Get out of here.  _Now_.”

 

Feeling the obvious tension in the air, Loki looked to Tony, uncertain about the situation but Tony was staring at the man in front of Thor and, for once, Tony seemed to have nothing smart to say.  Looking at Loki and Bruce, Tony just shook his head and motioned toward the door.  Everyone seemed to be in agreement that they needed to leave.  Now.  So, with one final look back at Thor, Loki followed them out. 

* * *

Later that night, Loki was lying awake on plush blankets on Tony’s floor, staring up at the ceiling.  The drive back had been quiet and uncomfortable.  All of Tony’s bravado had been sucked out of him following the strange run-in with Thor and the mysterious man, and Tony had seemed overly focused on the road ahead of him as he drove.

 

Loki had tried to ask if either Bruce or Tony knew who the guy was, but both had said they didn’t.  Bruce had said, however, that if anyone was able to bring out such an obvious reaction of distaste in Thor, he probably wasn’t good news. They had all agreed on that point.  The conversation in the car had turned to the fact that none of them, even the two who had lived in the town their entire lives, really _knew_ what Thor and his family got up to in the city.  A lot of it was rumors and none of it had actually ever been confirmed. And while Thor and his friends were considered “dangerous,” everyone in town knew that they weren’t an actual threat to the community members. It was an unspoken rule.  That was different for strangers.  And going into the city meant that there was a chance that they could run across people who _didn’t_ abide by the same rules that those who worked for the Borson family had agreed to. 

 

Bruce had pointedly told Tony it had been a stupid idea to go to The Realm, specifically _for_ that reason.  And Loki had questioned them why no one had said anything about the fact that Thor’s family _owned_ that club before they had all decided to go there.  Eyes still on the road, Tony had admitted that he had thought it would be more fun that way.  It sounded like he regretted that decision in retrospect.  When they got back, the mood had lifted somewhat, and they ended the night eating ice cream and playing video games.  It was almost 3am before everyone had settled down and the lights had been turned off. 

 

And now that the room was silent, Loki was left wide awake ruminating about the events of the evening.  He was nervous about how things had ended with Thor.  From the anger he saw on Thor’s face when the man had pinned him up against the wall, he knew Thor was displeased with him—a position he most definitely did not want to find himself in again.   But… this time, it really wasn’t his _fault_.  Sighing in frustration and knowing he’d never be able to go to sleep without knowing what the outcome of his transgression was going to be, Loki picked up his phone and quickly typed off a message. 

 

_Me_ : is everything ok?

 

Loki waited anxiously for a response.  When one finally came in, only 7 minutes had passed but, to Loki, it felt like an eternity. 

 

_Asshole_ : Just go to bed kid.  It’s late.

 

Loki wasn’t sure if that meant things were alright or not.  He suspected the latter, to be honest.  But at least Thor had _responded_.  That, in itself, was a relief. 

 

Rolling over on to his side, Loki tucked his phone under his pillow and willed himself to go to sleep.  He didn’t know what Thor would do or say the next time he saw him. And the thought of that left his stomach in knots.  

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!  Things are not as bad as they may seem.  Haha.  I just like to make life hard on Loki.  Smut to come next chapter!  I promise, I promise!! Please let me know your thoughts in the meantime.  xoxo


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I am SO sorry it took me over three months to post the next chapter.  I apologize for my delinquency; I'm a grad student and finding time to write has been really hard :c. But thank you all for your great comments on the last chapter and for being so patient in the meantime!  This chapter got insanely long so I had to cut it in two, so some of the things I promised last time won’t take place in this chapter :/, _but_ because of that the next chapter is already well under way and should hopefully not be too far behind this one!  I'd also like to give double thanks to [Thorkys ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxurien/pseuds/Thorkys)and Sarah for being my beta-team!!  :D

* * *

Radio silence.

 

That was what Loki had been experiencing ever since he had run into Thor at the Realm on Saturday night.  Other than Thor’s brusque response telling him to go to bed, Thor had not responded to a single one of Loki’s texts. 

 

On Sunday, Loki had sent a simple, non-committal “hey,” as a way of feeling out the situation.  But then Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening passed by with _no_ response from Thor.  That night Loki sent another, more searching, text, asking Thor “is everything ok?” 

 

But, yet again, _no response._

 

At his wit’s end, Loki had laid in bed and debated with himself for almost all of Sunday night, vacillating between his sense of pride and the growing sense of anxiousness that was twisting his stomach into knots, before he had ultimately convinced himself to send a follow-up text, saying nothing but “I’m sorry.” 

 

But, still, Thor hadn’t responded.  

 

And Loki had no idea what to _do_ about it.  And that frustration carried him into Monday morning where he _thought_ he would have an opportunity to finally confront Thor.  However, while Thor’s friends had noisily made their way into his backyard early on Monday morning, _Thor_ hadn’t been with them.  So Loki hadn’t been able to just _ask_ Thor if he was angry with him like he wanted to. 

 

He had, as was in his nature, tried to covertly ask Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg where Thor was.  But he could only ask so many questions before the guys would get suspicious.  He already knew they thought his interest in Thor was “cute.”  That they were all convinced that he was in some way a _fan_ of Thor’s—that he found the older man “cool,” or something—but just didn’t want to admit it.  Loki would let them think that—it was far less embarrassing than the _truth—_ but he couldn’t give them any reason to get even more suspicious, or look at things any more carefully.  So when they told him Thor was off-site working on another project, he had had to nod quietly and pretend to not be interested in knowing _more_.  But that left him with no way to know what Thor was doing (or, more importantly, thinking). 

 

All he had was texting.  And he was too much of a chicken to actually _call_ Thor.  He didn’t think he had that right, or that Thor would even appreciate it, if he was annoyed with Loki like Loki was guessing he was.  And Loki was nervous about appearing too desperate.  He was concerned that the more he pushed and tried to get Thor’s attention, the more likely it was that Thor would ultimately get tired of him—on top of getting annoyed—and stop talking to him altogether. 

 

But not doing _anything_ was something that was very difficult for Loki to force himself to do.  Loki considered himself pretty resilient; there wasn’t much that life could throw at him that he couldn’t handle.  But the one thing Loki _couldn’t_ deal with was being ignored.  It had happened once already and the experience had left Loki wholly convinced that he did not want to go through that again.   

 

So Loki sat and stewed. 

 

Tony had invited him over on Tuesday.  Apparently one of the cooks was making homemade ice cream and Tony had made her make 8 different flavors.  Tony insisted Loki _had_ to come over to help him and Bruce eat it all.  It was only right.  Poor Bertie had had to do so much work.  Loki had held out though, giving Tony noncommittal answers for the earlier part of the day, hoping that if he stayed home Thor would stroll in and he could get a chance to talk to him.  But by the time 1:00 rolled around and Loki hadn’t seen Thor that day, he decided that maybe he wasn’t doing himself any favors sitting home and obsessing about Thor.  Going over to Tony’s and getting sick off of eating way too much ice cream would probably be a welcome distraction.     

 

And Loki definitely needed to be distracted, because it had been three _days_.

 

In the bigger scheme of things, Loki knew that there was nothing particularly “alarming” about not having talked to Thor for three days.  That Thor was an adult who engaged in activities outside of the construction project he was working on this summer.  That Thor’s life didn’t revolve around _Loki_.  And that wherever Thor was he probably wasn’t _thinking_ about Loki. 

 

Loki didn’t know who Thor was—or what he got up to—when he wasn’t around him.  But there wasn’t much Loki could _do_ about that.  He didn’t know where Thor lived.  He didn’t know how to talk to, or see, Thor outside of the hours Thor was working on his house.  And Loki knew that, in only a matter of weeks, when the project finally came to an end, Thor might quite literally disappear from his life.  It made Loki so much more aware of the fact that he had no control over this situation.  That Thor knew so much about him, and Loki knew so very little about Thor. 

 

Thinking those thoughts only led to more worry and doubt.  And Loki had no idea how to quiet his mind.  He hoped ice cream would do it.  So Loki had dragged himself to the bus stop and made the trip over to Tony’s.  He hadn’t seen Tony since the night at the club, and he feared that being around the older boy would remind him about how royally he had fucked up with Thor by going there in the first place. 

 

But, to Loki’s great surprise, spending time with Tony and Bruce had been more fun than anything else.  He had enjoyed himself enough that Thor had only crossed his mind a _few times_.  He had started to feel hopeful that he would be able to push Thor out of his thoughts entirely.  That maybe the rest of the week would go by and the anxiousness would reduce; that not being able to see Thor would get easier.  But when Loki tumbled into bed later that night, mouth still sticky with ice cream, the last thing on his mind before he succumbed to sleep was still _Thor_. 

 

When Loki woke up late the next morning, he laid in bed for the first few minutes feeling groggy and grumpy.  All he had eaten yesterday was gallons of ice cream and, unsurprisingly, he felt gross.  Eating his feelings—it was such a cliché.  He was angry with himself for being so pathetic.  He hated hat the highs and lows of his happiness were so easily influenced by the things Thor did and said (or _didn’t_ do or say, for that matter). Loki groaned as he rubbed his hands over his face, hating the idea of having to get up and face the day. 

 

But then a sound floated through his open window and he shot up in bed in shock.

 

That was _Thor’s_ voice.  Thor’s laugh.  Thor was there! 

 

Completely forgetting how disgruntled he had felt only a few seconds ago, Loki scrambled to get out of bed, almost tripping as his feet got tangled in the sheets.  All he wanted to do was run straight downstairs and talk to Thor.  But he reminded himself that he didn’t want to look too desperate. Besides, he definitely needed a shower.  There was no way the first time Thor had seen him since the night in the club was going to be Loki with bedhead and un-brushed teeth.

 

Heart racing in his chest with unexpected excitement, Loki quickly made his way to the bathroom.  He pulled off his clothes as he turned the tap on, waiting impatiently for the water to heat up. He knew it was ridiculous, but he was afraid that Thor would be gone again before he was done.  And there was no way he could let that happen. 

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Loki was thumping down the stairs, wet hair piled on top of his head in a sloppy bun and cheeks flushed.  He pulled absentmindedly on his clothes, trying to adjust them and smooth the wrinkles out of his t-shirt, as he bounded around the corner and ran past the living room. 

 

“Loki!  What’s with the racket?  Where are you going in such a rush?” Laufey called from the living room.

 

Loki screeched to a halt, having not anticipated running into his father. 

 

From where Laufey was sitting he couldn’t see Loki.  The couch was obscured by the wall that separated the living room from the hallway.  However, it wasn’t rocket science for Laufey to figure out that the sound that was similar to a pack of stampeding horses was his son, who had been missing for the better part of the morning.      

 

Loki quickly scrambled to think up a good enough excuse for his hasty descent down the stairs

 

“I um… I just got a notification that a package I’ve been waiting on just came,” Loki called back, making up a lie as he went along and hoping his father wouldn’t make him come into the living room.

 

Loki was a good liar, but he did still feel guilty sometimes when he was made to lie to his father’s face.

 

“And you think if you don’t run the package will suddenly disappear?” Laufey asked back with a laugh.

 

Loki flushed.

 

“Ah… it’s a pre-order. I’ve been waiting for it for weeks!” Loki called back. 

 

Laufey laughed again, sounding bemused.

 

“Alright then. I’m sure it’s something you’ve spent a ton of my money on, so it’s only fair you start enjoying it as soon as you can,” Laufey teased.  “Have fun.”

 

“Thanks, Dad,” Loki shouted before he quickly continued on his way past the living room and through the kitchen.

 

When he came face to face with the door, leading from the kitchen to the backyard, he hesitated for a moment.  He pressed his face up against the glass panes to see if he could get a glimpse of Thor.  His eyes quickly scanned the part of the yard that was visible from the door, and while he could see Volstagg and Hogun, he was disappointed that he couldn’t see Thor.  His stomach twisted, wondering if his fear—that Thor would leave in the amount of time it took him to get himself cleaned up and presentable—had come true.  But he convinced himself he was being foolish.  He had _heard_ Thor—he was sure of it—laughing in his backyard less than twenty minutes ago.    

 

Taking a deep breath, Loki pushed open the screen door and stepped out into the warm yard.  As soon as the sound of the door slamming shut behind him echoed out throughout the backyard, Volstagg looked up from what he was doing and waved at Loki with a cheery grin.  Hogun glanced up as well, giving Loki a small smile before turning back to his work.  He was never much for chatting, but the same could never be said for the boisterous red-head next to him. 

 

“Loki!  You’re looking in a better mood than when we saw you on Monday,” Volstagg greeted him, as he put down the shovel he had been using.

 

Loki flushed as he began walking over to them, hating that even these guys—who barely knew him—could tell that he had been in such a funk.  And he wondered if just the thought that he would be seeing Thor soon had made such a _noticeable_ difference in his face. 

 

“I wasn’t in a bad mood,” Loki mumbled. 

 

“Yeah right,” Volstagg said with a deep laugh.  “You looked so sour you made even Hogun seem friendly.” 

 

The man in question scoffed but Loki could see that he was trying to hold back a smile of his own.  Even _Hogun_ agreed with Volstagg.  Loki felt his cheeks burn hotter. 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Loki protested.  “It’s not like I act like some happy go lucky idiot all the time.”

 

“Ok, ok,” Volstagg said as he smiled and held up his hands in defense.  “So what’s brought you out here to grace us with your presence today?”  

 

“Nothing… just… you know, looking around.  Is it only you guys working today?” Loki asked, as nonchalantly as he could.

 

Volstagg and Hogun exchanged a meaningful look and Loki tried to ignore how embarrassed that made him feel. 

 

“No, it’s not just us today.  Fandral and Thor are around the other side of the house,” Volstagg said with a kind smile. 

 

Loki felt his heart-rate speed up at the mention of Thor’s name and really, really, hoped that his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt right now.

 

“Oh… ok.  That’s interesting,” he said as he looked down at his fingernails so he wouldn’t have to look either man in the eyes.  “What’re they working on?”

 

“Thor’s working on the addition to the house and Fandral… well, he _should_ be working on your HVAC, but who knows if that’s what he’s actually doing,” Hogun said with a sardonic shake of his head and a shrug.

 

“Um… maybe I’ll go check it out then,” Loki said.

 

“You want to check out building and HVAC installation?” Volstagg asked, amusement apparent in his voice.

 

“So??  What’s with the 20 questions all of a sudden?” Loki asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.  “I’m allowed to take interest in the things that are going on around me.”

 

“Ok, have fun Loki,” Volstagg said with a wink.

 

With a grumble, Loki turned on his heel and began to march toward the back side of the yard.  He had never felt so completely unsophisticated before.  But he was starting to realize that he was a lot more inept at handling this situation than he would have imagined.  He didn’t want to admit it, but he was really out of his element. 

 

As soon as Loki made it around the back of the house, he saw Fandral sitting on the ground next to tools and the HVAC unit.  The blond was scrolling through his phone, with a look of concentration on his features.   A few yards away, Loki could see the frame for the addition to the house, which had taken on a much more discernible shape in the days they had been working on it, and could hear the sound of hammering.  That meant that _Thor_ was there, and Loki’s stomach did that flip that it had been doing so much more frequently lately. 

 

All Loki wanted to do was go to Thor. All he wanted to do was _see_ Thor.  But he couldn’t just walk past Fandral.  As soon as he passed the guy, Fandral would take notice and Loki wouldn’t benefit from appearing as if he was in a hurry to get to any particular destination, namely getting to Thor.  And Fandral was the one who seemed to pay him the most attention.  He joked around a lot, but there was always a glint of intrigue in his eyes, as if he was always trying to figure something out or see down to someone’s most secret layers.  

 

“What’re you doing?” Loki asked, breaking Fandral’s concentration.

 

The sandy-haired man looked up and gave Loki a big grin. 

 

“ _Lokes_!” Fandral said with excitement as he got to his feet.

 

“I haven’t seen you in a _while_.  I thought you got bored with us.  What’re you doing back here?” Fandral asked as he gave Loki an inquisitive look up and down.  It was clear Loki wasn’t out for a swim that day and Fandral was looking for some kind of justification for Loki’s sudden venture into the otherwise unappealing backyard.    

 

Loki was smarter this time, however.  He wasn’t going to give Fandral any reason to get too nosy.  He had a lie already on deck. 

 

“My dad wanted me to ask Thor to check in with him about the progress going on out here,” Loki said.

 

Fandral furrowed his brow.

 

“And you came out here just for that?” Fandral asked.  “It seems like that’s something you’d only agree to kicking and screaming.”

 

Loki frowned.

 

“I don’t know why everyone has such a negative opinion of me,” he responded. “I’m not a _total_ brat.”

 

“Not when you don’t want to be,” Fandral said with a wink.

 

“You’re one to talk.  I never see you actually doing any _work_ ,” Loki said, hoping to change the subject, as he pointed to the tools lying scattered on the ground.

 

Fandral laughed, but had the good sense to look chastised.

 

“To be honest, I _was_ just taking a tiny break, but in my defense, this stuff is hard, Lokes,” Fandral whined.

 

Loki rolled his eyes, but he was satisfied that it seemed like Fandral had been sufficiently distracted. 

 

“So I’m going to go do that thing for my dad-” Loki began as he started to turn away.

 

“Hey, wait up a minute, Loki,” Fandral said, cutting him off.

 

Perplexed, Loki turned around.  Fandral was looking at him with a serious expression and Loki wasn’t quite sure how to take it. 

 

“I haven’t seen you in a bit, so I didn’t get a chance to mention this, but Thor told us you were at the Realm on Saturday night after you, Stark and Banner left,” Fandral said.

 

Loki’s eyes widened.  He was surprised that Thor had mentioned it to his friends. 

 

“You need to stay away from places like that, Loki,” Fandral said, voice holding no hint of playfulness for once.  “That’s no place for kids like you to hang out.”

 

Loki gave him an incredulous look.  What was it with people here always trying to tell him what to _do_? 

 

“Ok, I get it that ‘underage drinking’ maybe isn’t the best, but are you guys seriously that worried about that?  It’s just a little bit of fun.  And don’t worry, I promise I can take care of myself,” Loki scoffed.

 

Fandral shook his head and sighed.

 

“Believe me, that’s the least of what we’re worried about,” Fandral said.  “And if you don’t listen to anything else I say, at least listen when I tell you that Thor does _not_ want to catch you there again.”

 

Loki blinked at him in surprise and all Fandral could do was raise his hands and shrug. 

 

“Just thought that I’d do my due diligence.  He was livid, kid.  Remember, his family owns that club, so if anything happened to you there, they’d be responsible for it,” Fandral said.

 

Loki bit his lip, but nodded.

 

“Well… you don’t have to worry.  I don’t really have any plans on going there again.  Or listening to any other bright ideas from Tony, as a matter of fact,” Loki said as he rolled his eyes.

 

Fandral smiled.

 

“Good to hear, kid.  Besides, you’re too cute to be going to a place like that anyway,” Fandral said with a wink. “You’d get eaten up in a second.”

 

“Ugh,” Loki said as he flushed with embarrassment.

 

Fandral laughed.

 

“You’re cute when you blush too, you know?” he said.

 

Loki rolled his eyes and turned on his heel.  He could hear the echo of Fandral’s laughter behind him as he stomped his way over to where the sounds of a hammer banging were getting louder.  At least being annoyed with Fandral would distract him enough to make him less self-conscious when he faced Thor, Loki told himself.  

 

But when Loki made his way around the pile of planks stacked next to the framed out addition and his eyes finally fell on Thor, his mouth went dry and his stomach did that very annoying flip-flop thing again. 

 

Thor was crouched down over a number of long planks of wood, hammering them together.  He was wearing a white tank top, stretched taut across his broad chest, showcasing his tanned and sculpted flesh, already glistening with sweat.  His golden hair was pulled back into a low bun and he had sunglasses settled on top of his head.  The muscles in his biceps rippled every time he brought the hammer down and Loki was immediately reminded about how big and solid Thor felt when he wrapped his arms around him.  He was embarrassed about how quickly that thought sent a shot of desire straight down to his groin. 

 

Swallowing nervously, Loki inched closer until he was within hearing distance of Thor.

 

“H-hey,” he called out.

 

Thor stopped and glanced up at him, clearly not expecting to see him, and then his eyes narrowed minutely before he turned back down to his work and kept hammering.

 

Loki frowned.

 

“So you’re actually going to just ignore me?” he asked, feeling his chest tighten.

 

“I’m not ‘ignoring’ you,” Thor said gruffly, not even sparing him a glance.  “I’m working, as you can see.  The work your father is _paying_ us to do.”

 

Loki blanched.  It was like Thor was dismissing him.  Telling him he had no time for him.  And even though that was what Loki had been fearing for the last few days, having to experience it in person made Loki bristle.  All he could think about was how unfair it was.  Why the hell had he spent days moping around about Thor, when Thor clearly didn’t give two shits about him?  Why was he always the only one who was _affected_?

 

“Yeah?  You’re working??  That never stopped you from taking time out of your _busy_ schedule to try and get in my pants,” Loki hissed. 

 

Before Loki could blink, the hammer was clattering down on to the plank below it and Thor was on his feet, stalking toward him, closing the distance between them in a few quick strides.  Loki sucked in a breath as Thor loomed over him, body tensing and eyes wide as he stared up at the imposing blond.

 

“You don’t know your fucking place,” Thor growled at him.   

 

He was so close Loki could feel the heat of his breath on his face.  There was so much emotion in Thor’s electric blue eyes and Loki was fascinated by it.  Yes there was anger there—and that made him a bit nervous—but Thor was _looking_ at him; Loki was the sole object of Thor’s attention. 

 

“You say so much shit just to get a rise out of me but then act all scared when you really get what you want.  Don’t stand here and pretend that if I _really_ stopped giving you the attention you so desperately seem to need that you’d be happy with that.  You think I _need_ to ‘get in your pants?’  Kid, _please_.  Don’t flatter yourself,” Thor said, sneering at him. 

 

Loki’s face flushed with embarrassment. 

 

“I’m not _flattering_ myself,” he said, hoping he sounded bolder in that conviction than he felt.  “You… you clearly… You’re the one who _started_ it!  Don’t act like this is all just _me_.”

 

“You’re not worth the trouble half the time,” Thor continued, eyes still flashing angrily.  “You’re just supposed to be a bit of fun; a _distraction_.  Not getting all caught up in the other parts of my life.  All you do is fucking stress me out!”

 

Loki blinked, not really understanding what Thor was saying and unable to say anything in response.  Thor was clearly frustrated, but it seemed more like he was frustrated with _himself_ than with Loki.  And what did Thor mean about him getting caught up in the other parts of his life?  Loki didn’t think Thor thought about him at _all_ outside of when he saw him.  He didn’t think he _mattered_ to Thor that much.So how could he be stressing Thor out?

 

Loki stared at Thor as he watched the older man’s expression change, as if something had dawned on him, and Thor quickly looked away. 

 

“Shit, why the hell am I standing here arguing with a fucking kid?” Thor asked, more to himself than to Loki. 

 

He huffed before throwing his hands up in frustration and stalking back over to the pile of wood.  He crouched down and began hammering again. 

 

Loki couldn’t understand why Thor’s discomfort gave him this strange tingly feeling, but he found himself following behind Thor.  He stood off to the side, only about a foot away from Thor, so that he could look down on what Thor was doing without getting in the way.

 

“What did I do to get you so angry?” Loki asked.

 

Thor didn’t stop hammering away, but Loki could hear him scoff.

 

“If you don’t know the answer to that, you’re dumber than I thought, kid,” Thor said. 

 

Loki rolled his eyes.  Thor was being _difficult_.  Well, it wasn’t like Loki didn’t have some idea about what was bothering Thor, but the issue was that he didn’t _get_ it.  Thor was angry that he had run into Loki at the club.  Was it just because he was _there_?  Or was it that Loki was dancing—not even by his own will—with that unknown guy?  Loki didn’t doubt Thor was the jealous type, but he couldn’t really imagine that situation would be enough to set Thor off like that.  But maybe it was what Fandral had mentioned—the possibility that Thor and his family would be liable if something had happened that night and minors had been found to be in the club?  It seemed like it was more than that though…

 

“I mean… I know you were angry seeing me at the club…” Loki offered, hoping Thor would fill in the blanks if he was at least close to the target. 

 

Thor’s shoulders tensed slightly, but he continued his work seemingly unfazed. 

 

“You think I just care that you went out with your stupid little friends and did some reckless shit?  I expect dumb kids to do things like that,” Thor said gruffly.  “It’s that you came to the _Realm_ to do that.”

 

Loki frowned.

 

“What?  What’s the big deal?  So it’s a club owned by your dad.  _And_?” Loki asked.

 

Thor turned to look at him over his shoulder, brows drawn down and mouth set in a firm line. 

 

“Did you forget what I told you?  About who my family is?  About what we _do_?Do you know how many people in there had _guns_ that night?” Thor asked, looking at Loki with hard eyes. 

 

Loki shuddered and bit his lip in consternation.  No, he hadn’t known that. The club looked like any other club. It had been fun.  Why would he have thought there were _dangerous_ people in there?  But he guessed that was what Thor was talking about when he called him a _dumb kid_.  And Loki suddenly realized that maybe he was more naïve than he thought he was. 

 

“Did… did _you_ have a gun that night?” Loki asked hesitantly.

 

Thor scoffed as he tilted his head to better look up at Loki, squinting at him in the sunlight.

 

“Of coursed I did. I had _two_ ,” Thor said plainly before turning back to the wood in front of him.

 

_Wow_ , Loki thought to himself, eyes widening in surprise. 

 

“Do you ever have to use them?” Loki asked, voice no more than a whisper.

 

Thor let out an exasperated sigh. 

 

“Of course I have to use them sometimes.  I wouldn’t carry them if there wasn’t a _need_ ,” Thor said, dropping the hammer with a clatter. 

 

He looked at Loki sternly for a moment, seeming to be considering his next words, before continuing.  

 

“And that guy… the one who came and interrupted us?  He’s bad news.  There’s a reason why we keep what happens in town separate from what goes on in the city.  And why people from town stay _out_ of the city.  You don’t want someone like that knowing anything about you,” Thor said, eyes unreadable. 

 

Loki blinked in surprise.  He couldn’t believe it.  Thor really sounded like he was… worried?  It sounded like the thing that had actually bothered Thor the most was that that man—the one with the creepy, dead eyes—had taken notice of Loki.  That he was dangerous.  And having him pay attention to _Loki_ was dangerous. 

 

The thought of it was definitely scary.  And now that Thor had mentioned it, Loki began to realize that going to a club that was frequented by criminals probably would expose him to a lot of unnecessary danger.  He could have been bumping elbows with violent robbers, thieves, drug dealers, and even _murderers._ And it reminded Loki that Thor very likely could be that type of person as well.  It was sobering. 

 

But looking at Thor from his position on the ground, staring up at Loki with a frown—appearing for all intents and purposes _concerned_ —made Loki feel an almost tangible sense of protection.  Like if something had gone down in the club that night—that if Loki really _had_ been in danger—Thor would have protected him.  Thor would have made sure that he walked out of that club in one piece. That made a warm feeling bloom deep inside Loki’s chest.  It was so big he didn’t know what to do with it.    

 

He felt an urge to do something crazy; something he wasn’t quite sure Thor would allow him.  Loki hesitated for a moment, but decided that he wasn’t going to let his uncertainty stop him.  He stepped forward, getting in Thor’s personal space and watched as Thor tensed up, craning his head back a bit, to keep Loki in his sight.  And although Thor frowned, he didn’t make any attempt to stop him. 

 

With a deep breath, Loki placed his hands on Thor’s shoulders then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss against Thor’s forehead. 

 

Thor’s skin felt warm against Loki’s lips.  Probably warmer than normal, because of the sun beating down on them.  And, this close, Loki could smell Thor’s enticing scent; a mixture of cologne and sweat.  It made his toes curl. 

 

“I’m… I’m sorry about making you worry about me,” Loki said softly, as he pulled back slightly. “I didn’t know that something like that could happen.  I swear. I didn’t know it was… um… involved in the work that you do.”

 

Thor blinked in surprise, as if he didn’t quite know how to process what had just happened, before his eyes narrowed and he reached out—hand moving so quickly Loki missed the movement—and grabbed Loki’s wrist.

 

“What was that, huh?” Thor asked, lips quirking up in a somewhat sinister smirk.  “Is this the same brat who was just complaining a few minutes ago about me trying to get in his pants?  You _want_ me to get into them, don’t you?”

 

Loki flushed and tried to pull his hand back.

 

“I- I didn’t say that,” he protested.

 

“Yeah?  You wanna tell me that if I touch you right now you won’t get hard in a matter of seconds?  That if I just lick your neck and bite on your ear a little bit, you won’t come all over yourself?” Thor asked.

 

Loki couldn’t help the shudder that rolled through his body.  Just the thought of it was making heat pool low in his stomach.  It had been so long since Thor had touched him.  The last real time had been that impromptu visit in Thor’s car.  And while that had been the material for more jerk off sessions than Loki was willing to admit, it really hadn’t been enough.  Loki would be lying if he said he wasn’t anticipating the next time Thor would touch him. 

 

And the blush on his cheeks was apparently confirmation enough for Thor, as his smirk widened.

 

“You missed me, huh?” Thor asked, loosening his grip on Loki’s wrist but still keeping it tight enough that Loki couldn’t get free.  He began to lightly stroke the inside of Loki’s wrist with his thumb, right over his pulse point, and the feathery motion sent shivers up Loki’s spine.  He had to bite his lip to hold back a moan.

 

“You wanna show me how badly you missed me?” Thor asked, as his eyes dropped down to his own crotch.

 

Loki’s eyes followed the motion and he swallowed as he saw the tenting of Thor’s jeans.  Unexpectedly, he felt his mouth start to water and he flushed, ashamed of himself for actually responding like that.  And so quickly.  Just like Thor had said.  

 

But then the sound of the screen door slamming echoed out throughout the yard and Loki could hear the faint sound of his father calling for him.  His eyes widened as he saw Thor’s eyes narrow, and then Thor reluctantly released his wrist.

 

“I guess you owe me one then,” Thor said, as he held Loki’s gaze with his own, eyes full of promise. 

 

The look Thor was giving him made Loki’s heart thunder in his chest, and he quickly tore his eyes away before turning and running back to the house to see what his father wanted.    

* * *

Thor watched Loki go, frustrated but fairly amused all at the same time.  Loki had caught him somewhat unawares. 

 

He hadn’t seen Loki in more than three days following his run in with the boy in the club.  He was aware Loki had sent him a number of messages to which he hadn’t replied.  That was partially on purpose and partially because he had just been too busy dealing with _business_ to take the time to respond to a 15-year-old kid who had a crush on him.  And while he knew Loki didn’t do well with being ignored, he hadn’t been expecting the boy to come out and find him like he had. 

 

To a certain extent, Thor had appreciated the unplanned distance from him.  He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but seeing the way that Ronan had looked at Loki in the club on Saturday night had made his stomach twist with worry. 

 

Worrying about others was something Thor just wasn’t used to. 

 

Yes, he was always thinking about the safety of his family and his crew.  If anyone threatened Odin, Thor would never hesitate to track them down and make an example of them. And God help them if anyone ever went after Frigga or Balder.  Thor felt the same way about his crew.  Hell, his crew _was_ practically family.  He knew he didn’t need to worry about them—the Warriors Three, Sif, and Natasha were the type that could take care of themselves—but if anyone was ever stupid enough to go after one of them, they would have the whole force of the Borsons raining down on them.  These were situations Thor always knew he could handle.  He never felt _worry_.  Instead he engaged in cold calculation.  He problem-solved.   

 

But what Thor felt when he saw the gears turning in Ronan’s head as he looked at Loki, standing there all big eyes, flushed face, and skin-tight clothes, was a foreign sense of _helplessness_.  Like there was some way that Ronan was going to try to get at Loki and Thor wouldn’t be there to protect him.

 

The fact that that thought had even crossed his mind was frustrating for Thor.  He told himself he only cared because taking an action against Loki would be Ronan’s way of disrespecting him.  Thor had made it clear to Ronan that he expected him to leave Loki alone, and Thor was sure that just saying that might have the completely opposite effect.  He knew Ronan liked to step out of bounds, just to see Thor seethe.  But deep down Thor knew that there was more to it than that.  That, for some reason, Thor _worried_ about Loki.  He didn’t mind teasing him and making the kid cry, but the idea of someone else doing it?  It made Thor see red.

 

And a lack of control of his emotions seemed to be the theme when things involved Loki.

 

Case in point: what had the kid been thinking when he leaned down and oh-so-sweetly kissed his forehead?   Thor hadn’t known what to do.   He didn’t think he could remember anyone having done that to him—save his mother, _years_ ago.  And the simple, innocent gesture made something inside Thor’s heart squeeze.  It made him feel that ever-present urge to grab Loki and kiss him breathless.  

 

It was startling and disarming. 

 

More and more, the lines were blurring for Thor.  Loki was just supposed to be something fun.  Like he had told the boy, he was using him as a convenient _distraction_.  But then why did he think about Loki when he couldn’t see him? 

 

And it couldn’t just be that he wanted to fuck him.  While Thor _definitely_ wanted to fuck him—he was looking forward to that with almost an unfathomable sense of urgency—he knew it was more than just that.  He fucked a lot of people.  It kind of came along with being attractive, 6’4,” stacked with muscle, and dangerous.  People flocked to that.  And Thor never had to work for it.  He hadn’t remembered really feeling _anticipation_ about a conquest since he was in his teens.  And that was before he realized that acting aloof actually got him further than acting interested.  

 

But with Loki, the anticipation was suddenly back.  Maybe it was that sense of not knowing.  That he had gone so long knowing that he _wanted_ , and yet he hadn’t tasted the forbidden fruit yet.  He and Loki were playing this cat and mouse game—preventing Thor from just _taking_ when he wanted to—and that sense of being denied made Loki _interesting_. 

 

But maybe things would change once Thor actually got what he wanted.

 

Smirking to himself as he picked back up the hammer he had abandoned, Thor nodded, telling himself that was what he needed to do.

 

He needed to taste the fruit.     

* * *

Loki hadn’t been able to find an opportunity to sneak back out into the backyard to see Thor after his father had called him inside.  As he hurriedly made his way across the yard and back to the house, where his father was waiting for him by the back door, he had been nervous that his father was going to yell at him about something—you could never really tell when your parent shouts your name whether it was going to be something good or bad. 

 

But apparently all Laufey had wanted to tell him was that a client he had scheduled for the afternoon had cancelled and he wanted to take advantage of the unexpected free evening by going out and getting groceries so they could cook (and actually eat) dinner together.  It was an unexpected change in events, and even though Loki thought it was a little dorky he still found himself smiling and agreeing to it.  It had really been too long since they had done something like that and Loki imagined it’d be good to cut through the sometimes awkward tension between them that had been rising lately.

 

So Loki found himself piling into his dad’s car and watching out of the window as they drove past the backyard and saw Volstagg and Hogun seemingly arguing about the hole they were digging (or filling, Loki couldn’t be sure).  Loki couldn’t see Thor from the street and he felt a pang of disappointment as they drove away. 

 

The shopping trip turned into more than just groceries, with them stopping into a few clothing stores in the shopping center and even an electronics store after Loki had pointed out a new computer game in the window that he had been eyeing.  By the time they were returning from their outing, it was already late afternoon and they could see Thor and his friends packing up the van as Laufey parked the car.  As Loki helped his dad unload the groceries from the car, he listened to Laufey saying goodbye to the guys, and watched covertly as Thor lifted heavy tools and loaded them into the back of the van. 

 

Right after slamming the van’s door shut, Thor looked up and met Loki’s eyes.  And Loki felt his stomach do that flip again.  Flushing, he looked away, but not before seeing Thor’s lips quirk up in a self-satisfied smirk.  Loki ducked his head back into the trunk of the car to grab another bag, and listened as the guys called their goodbyes to him and his father.  He didn’t come back up until he heard the van pulling away. 

 

“Why’re you so red?” Laufey asked as he looked at Loki, an eyebrow arched in confusion.

 

“It’s hot out here,” Loki said quickly as he made his way around his father, avoiding his eyes.  “Let’s get in the house!  I’m starving.”  

____________

On Thursday morning, Loki woke up to a string of (whiny) texts from Tony begging him to come meet him at the library.  From what Loki could gather, apparently Tony wanted to go “visit” Steve but had been explicitly warned by the older blond that he would not be allowed in by himself because he was prone to “causing trouble.”  Bruce was out of the question since he was in the city meeting with a professor he wanted to collaborate with for some of his dissertation research.  He had invited Tony to come along, but Tony had said he’d rather spoon out his own eyeballs.  So Tony needed Loki. 

 

And since there had been no response from Loki for most of the morning (because he was _asleep_ , which Tony never quite seemed to respect), Tony had already started bartering, promising to treat Loki to lunch.  Or buy him a copy of one of his games that Loki had said he really liked.  He even offered to let Loki drive his car around town, even though he knew Loki didn’t have a learner’s permit. 

 

Tossing his phone on the bed, Loki let out a disgruntled sigh before rolling over on to his stomach and bruying his face in his pillow.  Loki didn’t need all those promises of gifts and favors.  They made no difference in the fact that Loki really didn’t want to go.  Not when he hadn’t seen Thor for _days_ and yesterday Thor’s eyes had looked so hungry.  Just the thought of it made Loki’s stomach squeeze pleasantly. 

 

But, Loki was also a good friend.  The thought that Tony—as annoying as the older boy was—“needed” him made Loki feel obligated to help out.  Even though it was for a stupid reason. And likely nothing good would come from it.  And Loki would likely have a miserable time.  But he couldn’t begrudge Tony having a _crush_ ; Loki knew what that was like.  And, besides, it was refreshing once in a while to see Tony let his guard down and show his true colors.  The fact that Tony was even _respecting_ Steve’s rules was a clear indicator that he must really like and respect the straight-laced librarian and that he _badly_ wanted to see Steve.

 

It was kind of _cute_.

 

Cute was something Tony Stark didn’t often personify, and Loki could already imagine the number of ways he could tease Tony about it in the future.  With a sigh, Loki realized his mind was already made up.  He would be disappointed that he wouldn’t get a chance to see Thor that day, but he promised himself he’d make up for it on Friday.  He’d make it a pool day and spend as much time out in the yard as he could.  He’d get a chance to see Thor and maybe… do some other things.  Just the thought of it made him blush.

 

Giggling softly to himself, Loki pushed himself up on his elbows and typed out a quick reply to Tony.

 

Loki:  _I’ll take pity on you_.  _Meet me at the library in an hour_.  

* * *

Unfortunately, it took Loki quite a bit more than an hour to actually make it to the library.  When he was getting ready to leave the house, his father had intercepted him, announcing he was also going to be heading in to work soon, and offered to give Loki a ride into town.  Loki had protested of course—who wanted to be dropped off by their _parent_? _—_ but the more he declined the more adamant Laufey had been about taking him. 

 

Loki wondered if his father was for some reason suddenly suspicious about what Loki got up to in his free time, and if he was lying about where he said he was going.  Loki immediately regretted facetiously suggesting he was taking drugs to his father the last time they had argued.  He definitely did _not_ need Laufey suddenly paying more attention to his comings and goings. 

 

When Laufey finally dropped Loki off at the library in the center of town, Loki could feel his father watching him the entire time he made his way up the grand cement steps.  Shaking his head, Loki gave his father a cursory, dismissive, wave over his shoulder before pushing open the heavy glass and wood doors and stepping into the cool confines of the library.  He immediately felt relaxed, breathing in deep the smells of polished wood and old books. 

 

Taking out his phone, he glanced down to see the number of texts Tony had sent after Loki had told him he was going to be late. Shaking his head, Loki looked up and around the library to try to find Tony.  It wasn’t long before Loki spied him, sitting exactly at the same table he had been sitting at the first day he had met him and Bruce there.  Conveniently located as close to the circulation desk—and Steve—as possible. 

 

He couldn’t hear what Tony was saying, but the older boy was leaned back in his chair, mouth moving a mile a minute, apparently in the middle of regaling Steve with some kind of story.  Loki had to hold back a laugh as he watched Steve leaned over the desk, trying to peruse a register, with two fingers pressed against his temple and a tight expression on his face, as if he was already experiencing a headache. 

 

It looked like the blond needed a break.  Loki quickly made his way across the shiny wood floors and toward the pair.

 

“ _Finally_ ,” Tony remarked once he saw Loki approaching.

 

“See??” he asked as he turned to address Steve over his shoulder.  “I didn’t make it up.  He really _was_ on his way.”

 

Steve looked up and gave Loki a pleased, albeit weary-looking, smile. 

 

“Long time no see.  If you didn’t show up within the next half hour I was going to ask him to leave,” Steve said.

 

Loki laughed as he waved in greeting at Steve.

 

“Why do you always act like that Steve?  You know you’d be bored out of your mind if I didn’t come visit you once in a while.  Really, I’m doing you a favor,” Tony said as he grinned at him.

 

Steve rolled his eyes, but Loki could tell that his exasperation was only feigned. 

 

“Now that you’re here, Loki, I’ll trust that you’ll keep Tony busy so I can actually take care of my work?” Steve asked as he gestured down to the thick catalog in front of him.

 

“Yup, I’m here to babysit,” Loki said as he gave Steve a thumbs-up and slid into the chair across from Tony.

 

Tony rolled his eyes.

 

“ _I’m_ not the one who needs babysitting.  Have you even hit puberty yet?” he asked.

 

Loki glared at him, and ignored the chuckle that came from Steve’s direction.

 

“So, what’s going on with you?  Your dad’s suddenly turned into a helicopter parent?” Tony asked, with an eyebrow arched.   

 

Loki let out a dramatic sigh.

 

“I mean, I don’t get what’s with him lately.  He goes from super MIA to super hands on and then disappears again.  He needs to learn how to strike a balance.  Basically, he’s left me up to my own devices all summer, not seeming to care, mind you, that he picked me up and moved me across the country away from all my friends,” Loki complained.  “I don’t think I exactly owe him an explanation as to what I’ve found to do with my spare time.” 

 

Tony laughed.

 

“Well, he probably thinks you’re getting up to some weird shit.  You can be a bit shifty,” Tony said.

 

Loki stuck his tongue out at him.

 

“Shifty?  What about _you_? If my dad really knew what kind of person you were he probably wouldn’t even let me hang out with you,” Loki said.

 

Tony feigned offense, grabbing at his chest as if scandalized.

 

“What’re you talking about? I’m a model citizen,” Tony said, trying to hold a straight face.

 

Loki snickered and rolled his eyes.  Almost everything he did with Tony involved some harebrained plan that was likely to get them in trouble.  But it wasn’t like Loki was some goody two shoes who shied away from breaking rules.  He and his friends back home had gotten up to quite a lot of trouble on their own as well.  But at least he and his other friends knew they were breaking rules—they just chose to do it anyway.  Tony seemed to not _get_ that rules applied to him.  Which made him seem all the more reckless to Loki.  Was that what being filthy rich was like? 

 

“Shit, Bruce is calling,” Tony said as his phone started ringing, some loud, obnoxious techno-sounding song—not surprising coming from Tony—filling the quiet library.  

 

Tony pulled his phone out and engaged the call.

 

“Brucie!!” Tony said, smiling.  “So nice of you to _finally_ return my call.  Guess who I’m with.  Loki!  He’s showing you up for friend of the year, Banner.” 

 

Loki laughed and shook his head.

 

“Shh,” Steve hissed at Tony from his position at the desk behind him.  “Take it outside.”

 

“Are you serious?” Tony asked with a frown as he pulled the phone away from his ear and looked around the sparsely populated library.

 

Steve gave him a warning look and Tony let out a defeated sigh.

 

“Fine,” he said as he pushed to his feet. “I’ll be right back.” 

 

Loki watched as Tony made his way toward the main doors, listening as he told Bruce “Can you believe Steve’s making me go outside?”

 

When Tony was out of sight, Loki could hear the sound of the divider that separated the circulation desk from the main floor and the backroom lifting and turned back around to see Steve coming out to greet him.

 

“I don’t know how to put up with that guy,” Steve said with an exasperated chuckle.  “He’s taking years off my life.”

 

Loki laughed.

 

“Well, it can’t be _that_ bad.  You always blush when Tony flirts with you,” Loki said.

 

“If I blush—key word _if_ —it’s because Tony says extremely _inappropriate_ things,” Steve said in his defense. 

 

Loki smiled and gave him a knowing look and Steve could only shake his head in exasperation.

 

“So… I’m actually glad I got a chance to talk to you one-on one,” Steve said, and Loki stared at him curiously, wondering where Steve was going with this.  The blond was giving him a serious look.

 

“Tony was telling me that you guys had quite the exciting weekend,” Steve said, blond brows furrowing.

 

“It wasn’t my idea,” Loki said preemptively.

 

Steve sighed.

 

“Believe me, I figured that.  But I still need to talk to you about this.  The city’s a very different place than the suburbs, Loki,” Steve warned him.

 

“ _Apparently_.  Everyone’s been telling me that,” Loki said, exasperatedly as he pulled out his phone.  Yet _another_ lecture?  

 

“Are you still hanging around Thor?” Steve asked.

 

Loki stilled, his fingers pausing over his phone and looked up at Steve, blanching slightly.  Whenever Steve brought up Thor, Loki couldn’t help but get extremely nervous.  He didn’t want Steve, of all people, to find out about him and Thor.  More than anything, it was because he didn’t want anyone telling him he should _stop_ , and Steve would _definitely_ tell him to stay as far away from Thor as possible.  But he also didn’t want Steve to be disappointed in him.  And Steve seemed to have such a bad impression of Thor that Loki strongly believed he would be thoroughly disappointed if Loki said anything even remotely pro-Thor.

 

“I don’t know why you keep _saying_ that.  It’s not like Thor and I meet up for coffee or play Xbox together,” Loki said, dropping his eyes back down to his phone screen, trying to act as nonchalant as he could.

 

“Loki look at me.  I want to have a serious conversation here,” Steve said as he sat down across from him.

 

Loki sighed as he put his phone down.

 

“Doesn’t it kind of seem like I _don’t_ want to talk about this?” he asked with a shrug, letting out an uncomfortable laugh. “I mean… I told you. Thor is just the guy doing some work on my house this summer.  That’s the extent of any interactions I have with him.”

 

Loki found that that wasn’t that hard to say. It _was_ kind of true.  The extent of their interactions _had_ revolved around Thor being at Loki’s house this summer.  He just wasn’t being so truthful about _what_ he and Thor got up to when he was around.  Loki felt his face heat, and glanced down at the table.

 

But it seemed Steve wasn’t paying too much attention to Loki’s reactions as he let out a loud sigh.

 

“I felt a bit awkward bringing this up before—it’s not usually in my nature to pry or get into other people’s business. And Thor and I… well, we used to be friends, so I don’t like to bad mouth him or anything,” Steve began, looking a bit uncomfortable himself.

 

Loki’s brows furrowed.  Steve was _such_ a nice guy.  And it seemed obvious that this conversation was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now.  Yet, he was still doing it. 

 

“But now hearing that the three of you guys went out to that club on Saturday, I feel as if I’d be doing you a disservice if I wasn’t a little more real with you.  Maybe it’ll help you understand better if I don’t talk in vague hints and suggestions,” Steve said, frowning, as if he was disappointed with himself for not taking this approach in the first place.

 

“I told you I’m intending on joining the police force after I graduate, right?” Steve asked as he looked at Loki, waiting for him to nod before he continued on.  “I’ve interned with them a few summers.  And I think those experiences have helped shed light on what’s really going on in this place, more than what the average townsperson would know.” 

 

“More than 40% of this area’s narcotics pass through The Realm.  The force suspects a number of other contraband passes through there as well, like guns, laundered money, smuggled liquor and goods.  People also go there to broker loans and under the table business relationships.  And when someone can’t make good on their bargain, bad things happen.  A number of missing persons cases have involved many of the people who frequent that club.  Suspected murders as well,” Steve said.  “These are the kinds of things someone like Thor and his friends are associated with.”

 

Loki’s eyes widened.  It wasn’t that he was so surprised—he had used his own imagination to think up some of the possible things Thor and his friends got up to.  But a lot of what he knew were just rumors people—mostly Tony—would whisper.  And while Thor made sure to insinuate that he was a “very bad man,” Loki could never be sure how much of it was talk and how much of it was true.  Having Thor tell him about his guns had definitely been sobering.  But it was still difficult to really think of generally friendly people like Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun being ruthless criminals.  It was so much more real when another person confirmed it though. 

 

“Have you… have you ever _seen_ them do any of this stuff?” Loki asked quietly, biting on his lip in consternation.

 

He didn’t really know how to feel about it.  Sure, the idea that Thor and his friends were capable of killing was scary.  But Loki also knew that he felt _protected_ and safe at the thought that Thor was so powerful—so feared.  That if there really were dangerous things out there, Thor would be able to keep him safe from it.  He wasn’t quite sure knowing what Thor was capable of was something he would have trouble living with. 

 

“No,” Steve said, with an angry-sounding scoff.  “These groups are too smart to get caught by the cops.  How do you think they’ve become so established?  It’s because they operate in an underworld where there’s an unspoken rule that no one talks.” 

 

Loki blinked at Steve in surprise.  Clearly crime was something Steve felt passionately about.  Loki wondered if there was more of a story there.

 

“But, I’ve known Thor since we were in grade school,” Steve said, continuing with a more calm voice.  “He has a pretty wicked temper.  So I have seen him beat people pretty bad.  And that’s with his bare hands.  But Thor has calmed down quite a bit since we were kids, and really hasn’t been caught up in physical fights for which he could get arrested in quite a while.  But I don’t think that makes him any less dangerous.  It just means he can better channel his actions into calculated aggression.  I keep saying that guy should invest his time into more positive activities…”

 

Loki wasn’t surprised to hear that Thor’s physicality was one of his greatest weapons.  Part of what he loved so much about Thor was how big he was—how big his hands were, how powerful his body felt.  Loki was sure that if Thor actually had to put that physical strength to the test, there wouldn’t be many who could stand their own against him.   

 

“But, what I’m trying to say here, Loki, is that, I _get_ it. Okay?” Steve said, drawing Loki out of his musings.  “Even with all his flaws, even I have to admit that Thor is charismatic.  I don’t fault you for being drawn to him. And maybe thinking he’s cool.  Or that his lifestyle is attractive.  It makes sense that you want to hang around with him, maybe find out more about him and what he does.  But I don’t want you making mistakes at such a young age.  You know, getting in with the wrong people. It’s dangerous.  _He’s_ dangerous, Loki.”

 

Loki flushed.  What did Steve think?  That Thor had him running drugs for him or something?  The thought was almost laughable.  And so very far from the _truth._ But Loki didn’t know what would be worse for Steve to believe—that Loki liked Thor enough that he would let him involve him in criminal activity, or that Loki liked Thor enough that he was very strongly considering letting said dangerous man _fuck_ him.   All he could picture was Steve’s scandalized face if he found out what was really going on.  

 

But even though Loki knew Steve was probably right—there was _so_ much telling him that Steve was right—it did nothing to lessen how badly Loki just wanted to be _Thor’s._   And if that meant lying through his teeth to his friend so that the older man would just leave him to walk down the path into Hell on his own, then so be it. 

 

“Steve, I appreciate your concern.  But, trust me, I know better than to get involved with people like Thor,” Loki said.  “I don’t really talk to him other than for things related to the work he does for my dad.  If we ever run into each other outside of that, it’s purely by coincidence.”

 

He watched as Steve looked at him for a moment, as if trying to discern the truth of his statement, and then the blond smiled and nodded at him.  He reached over and patted Loki on the shoulder, seeming relieved.  

 

“Okay, I’m really glad to hear that, Loki,” Steve said.  “I know you’re new here and still trying to figure things out. So I want to look out for you.”

 

“No, I totally get it.  You don’t need to worry about me, but thanks for taking the time to talk to me about it in any case,” Loki said, ducking his head to hide how guilty he felt. 

 

Just then they heard the sound of Tony’s sneakers squeaking on the polished floor as he walked back over to them.

 

“What’s going on here?” Tony said, giving Loki and Steve as suspicious look. “I step out for a few minutes and you two are getting all cozy.”

 

Steve let out an exasperated sigh as he stood to his feet.

 

“No, I was just taking the time to give Loki the same scolding I gave you about your little outing last weekend,” Steve said, giving Tony a pointed look.

 

Tony pouted.

 

“Jeeze, are you serious?  I told you it was a mistake and we wouldn’t do it again.  I can’t believe you gave Loki a “talking to.”  You’re only 27, Steve.  Stop acting like everyone’s dad,” Tony said.

 

Steve flushed.

 

“I-I’m _not_.  I’m just worried about you guys,” he protested.

 

“Wait a second, actually….” Tony said as his eyes lit up and he gave Steve an appreciative look.  “I think I can work with the Daddy angle.  If I’m bad, will you punish me?”

 

Steve’s face reddened so fast Loki was actually impressed.

 

“That’s it.  Get out. Out,” Steve said, as he pointed at the door.

 

Tony burst into laughter.

 

“It’s a public space!  You can’t kick me out. I’m here to do work with my good friend, Loki,” Tony said as he went over to Loki and grabbed his shoulders. “Isn’t that right, Loki??”

 

Loki laughed and shrugged helplessly as he looked at Steve.

 

“Ugh.  Tony Stark, I swear if you talk to me again before my shift is over I will personally ban you from this library.  Public or not,” Steve warned as he stomped back to the circulation desk.

 

Once Steve was far enough away, Loki elbowed Tony in the side.

 

“You know, you could go a little easier on him.  I think we’re a little too old for the kindergarten method of bullying the one you like,” Loki whispered to him.

 

Tony laughed as he pulled out the chair next to Loki.

 

“Believe me, Steve is the type who needs to be worn down.  Once you get him good and tuckered out, he’ll finally just give in,” Tony said with a smirk as his eyes followed the tall blond, who was now filing returned books. 

 

“I don’t know.  I think if you just told him you honestly really liked him, without making all the perverted jokes, maybe he’d actually take you seriously,” Loki said, giving Tony a deadpan look.

 

Tony rolled his eyes and turned to face Loki.

 

“What would you even know about it?  You’re so obviously a virgin.  Sorry if I don’t want to take advice from someone who doesn’t actually know how to pick up guys,” Tony said with a laugh.

 

Loki blushed and sputtered.

 

“You don’t know that!” Loki defended himself.

 

Tony scoffed as he pulled out his phone.

 

“I can read it all over you like it was stamped on your forehead.  You can’t even admit you _like_ guys in the first place. I’m sure you wouldn’t know what to do with a cock if it was staring you in the face,” Tony said matter-of-factly. 

 

Tony’s crass comment made Loki’s thoughts fill with unbidden thoughts and images.  Of how, yes, the first time Thor had held him down he _hadn’t_ known what to do.  But now the thought of tasting Thor in that way always made Loki squirm and his mouth water.  But that was nothing he was going to share with Tony. 

 

“You’d be surprised,” Loki muttered, huffing as he crossed his arms.

 

Tony gave him a curious look and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, you got some dirty details to share?” Tony asked.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Loki asked as he turned away from Tony and made a show of casually immersing himself in his phone, clearly dismissing Tony.  

 

He could feel Tony’s eyes on him for a few moments before the older boy muttered out a “yeah, right” under his breath, then Loki could hear the sound of a game coming from Tony’s phone. 

 

Loki wouldn’t admit it, but it bothered him that Tony was so smug about things like that.  And that he somehow thought he had Loki pegged.  So what if Loki didn’t have all that much “experience?”  Loki was sure that what he was getting up to with Thor was far more exciting than anything Tony had ever done.  Besides, Tony was quite the boaster—Loki took everything he said with a grain of salt anyway.  It was highly likely that Tony’s claims were all bravado. 

 

But that didn’t stop Loki from feeling curious.  He wanted to know what those things felt like himself.  He covertly opened up the texts he had received from Thor over the last few weeks.  Thor had said so many things; made so many dark and dirty promises.  They made Loki nervous but at the same time filled him with dizzying anticipation.  There was something so exciting about knowing that Thor would be this uncontrollable force, dominating him but bringing him to the heights of pleasure all at the same time. Thor was always unpredictable. 

 

Loki wanted to be a little unpredictable too.  He wanted to show Thor that he wasn’t the dumb, inexperienced kid that everyone seemed to think he was. Loki wasn’t sure he was ready for _everything_ , but he at least knew that he wanted _Thor_.  And he was willing to be a little more daring if that meant he could have him.

 

Maybe tomorrow he could show Thor that.  Maybe he could try to turn on some of his charm, make Thor be the one caught off guard for once.  Loki blushed just thinking about it. 

 

He couldn’t wait for tomorrow. 

* * *

A/N:  So there we have it!  Please let me know your thoughts!  In the meantime, I'm going to try to keep writing, celebrate getting another year older (birthday's on the 13th!) and continue to procrastinate on my thesis (ugly sobbing).  Feel free to come say hi to me over on [tumblr](laydee-liesmith.tumblr.com)!  xoxo


	9. Chapter 9

****A/N:  Thanks for all your awesome feedback and your patience, as usual! Really, you guys help keep me motivated to write this fic :).  This chapter has gone unbeta-ed, so any mistakes are all mine! The struggle is real, y'all, but I really wanted to get this up before the end of the year! (Here's an early Christmas, Hannukah, Winter Solstice, and non-denominational/other holidays gift to you guys XD)

 And as for what is going to happen in this chapter?  All I can say is….finally popping that cherry ;3

* * *

When Loki returned from the library with Tony, his thoughts had been filled with ideas of his pool day and his plans to seduce Thor the next day.  But Friday found Loki in a bad mood, as he sat pouting on the couch for the early part of the afternoon.  It had been pouring when he woke up, all thoughts of spending the day by the pool evaporating.  But what was even more disappointing was that the crew hadn’t shown up.  While Loki was eating breakfast he had eavesdropped on a call between his father and who he assumed was likely Thor.  It seemed as if the crew wouldn’t be able to get any work done with all the rain, but that if the weather let up later in the day they would come by. 

 

Loki’s mood was about as dour as the sky outside. 

 

So it came as no surprise that, when Laufey found him lazing on the couch, body draped quite dramatically over the expanse of it, headphones on, and frown on his face, Loki wasn’t the politest he could possibly be. 

 

“So, have you given it some thought?” Laufey asked as he came to a stop in front of Loki and crossed his arms over his chest.

 

Loki wanted to pretend that he hadn’t heard his father over the music playing in his headphones, but he knew Laufey wouldn’t be fooled.  It didn’t change the fact that he didn’t _want_ to have this conversation.  He knew exactly what Laufey was referring to—a conversation they had had this morning—but Loki still thought it was an insane proposition.  And the fact that his father had offered it, at all, was insulting in itself. 

 

Seeing that Loki wasn’t going to respond, Laufey let out a heavy sigh. 

 

“Loki… you know, I think you should really consider coming with me tonight.  Jarnsaxa would love for you to spend the weekend,” Laufey prodded. 

 

Loki rolled his eyes.  Did Laufey seriously believe that Loki would ever want to spend the weekend with him and girlfriend?  Pretending like they were some happy little faux family?  That was probably the last thing Loki could think of for how he wanted to spend his weekend.  And it was offensive that Laufey still couldn’t seem to understand that Loki wanted nothing to _do_ with that.  That he wasn’t _ready_ for that.  And the fact that his father apparently _was_ , made him feel angry and betrayed. 

 

He had to fight back the urge to say something nasty.  Something along the lines of “Oh, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your weekend fuck-fest” had come to mind.  But Loki wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t get slapped for saying something like that.  Not that his father had ever done that before.  But Loki knew there was always a line, and he was pretty skilled at dancing on the edge of danger without ever unnecessarily going over it.   He'd like to keep it that way.  Besides, making his father feel _guilty_ was far more useful to him than making his father angry.

 

“I’d rather stay here, thank you very much,” he said as he continued to click aimlessly through the sites on his computer.

 

“But… you… We don’t spend a lot of time together, Loki,” Laufey tried.

 

Loki paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard.  He could hear the unspoken plea for compromise in his father’s voice, but the situation made Loki bitter.  Laufey _realized_ he wasn’t spending time with his son, but he still thought asking Loki to spend a weekend with him and his _girlfriend_ was the appropriate solution?  Loki suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to be _mean_. 

 

“Big surprise there when the first thing you decide to do when you have a full weekend off is to leave town,” Loki spat. 

 

Laufey let out a heavy sigh.

 

“We're going around in circles, Loki.  I know you’re angry about this, but sometimes we just have to adapt to change.  These last couple of years have been...hard for us.  But we _both_ have to try.  I’m not going to force you, but I can’t wait for you to meet me halfway forever,” Laufey said. 

 

“Meet you halfway?  When have _you_ ever met _me_ halfway?” Loki asked, finally locking eyes with his father. 

 

Laufey’s jaw tightened visibly.

 

“You don’t think I’m meeting you halfway?  Allowing you to throw these little tantrums and stomp around the house like you’ve suffered some type of grave injustice?  Do you know how many people have it far worse than you, Loki?” Laufey asked.

 

Loki frowned.

 

“But I _do_ it,” Laufey continued, “because I understand that you’re in _pain_ , Loki. But if you refuse to talk to me about it, what do you expect me to do?  I know this has been a big change, but do you ever wonder that maybe things would have been harder if we stayed in New York?  That we would have been reminded of her everywhere we went?  We were living in the past.” 

 

“And you’re living now like you want to completely erase her!” Loki shouted. 

 

Laufey looked stunned. Hurt.  And Loki immediately regretted what he said.  He felt his bottom lip quiver, already poised to apologize for the mean jab.  But then his father’s phone rang.  And Laufey pulled his eyes away from him.  Almost as if he was relieved to not have to look at him. 

 

“We’ll…talk about this later,” Laufey said tightly, before he walked out of the room. 

 

Loki sat there, feeling sorry for himself.  He didn’t know why he always ended up being so nasty to his father.  He did blame him for a lot of the things he felt were wrong with his life right now.  He _didn’t_ , however, blame him for his mother’s death.  But while her pictures were still prominently displayed around the house (and Loki knew his father had kept a number of his mother’s things, now tucked away at the back of his closet), they didn’t _talk_ about her.  Loki felt guilty about that.  Wasn’t it wrong for his father to “move on” so quickly?  Wasn’t it wrong for them to have a “new” start?  Didn’t that sound as if they were saying they were leaving her behind?

 

And even Loki, having moved to this new town, even with its ups and downs, found himself thinking about his mother far less than when he lived in New York.  Laufey was right.  There were reminders about her _everywhere_.  His mother had bee a nurse at the only hospital in their town.  She volunteered in the community.  And while Loki had regretted leaving his friends behind, it was true that things had been somewhat difficult with them because they always seemed to look at him with pity.  When holidays like Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas rolled around—things you’d likely spend with your family—his friends always stumbled over their words, as if trying not to talk about the nice time they had had with _their_ mothers.  It had always made Loki feel guilty. Like he was some kind of burden.

 

Here, no one had really even asked about his mother.  They didn’t know anything about his past, and he liked it that way. Steve, of course, being ever polite and genuinely interested, had asked about his parents early on, and Loki had considered not telling him.  He had ultimately decided to divulge to the friendly librarian, and while Steve had expressed his genuine condolences it didn’t _hurt_ as badly as when he had to talk about it with someone who had known his mother for his entire life. 

 

And he liked that Tony and Bruce seemed to just take him for what he was.  They hadn’t needed to know very much about him before bringing him in to their inner circle.  And they seemed to accept him unconditionally.  (Even if Tony would like to pretend otherwise.)  Loki didn’t need to focus so much of his energy on maintaining a strong façade like he had around his old friends and schoolmates, when he was looked at with pity.  As the kid with the “dead mom.”  It was strangely freeing to not be known.  To be able to be a regular teenager.   

 

And Thor…? Well, Loki was sure Thor wasn’t at all interested in knowing much more about him than the here and now.  And even if Thor did know—it was likely he had found out from Loki’s father—Loki was sure the last thing Thor would do would be to _pity_ him.  And while there were many things about Thor’s attitude that Loki took issue with, his honesty and blunt nature were some of the things Loki actually really admired about him. Thor wasn’t deceitful.  He made it clear what he wanted, and what he was thinking. And there was something immensely freeing about that as well.  Thor was unpredictable, but Loki had started to realize that he had gotten tired of predictable.  Tired of _routine._

Loki’s thoughts were interrupted when Laufey walked back into the room.

 

“So, it looks like Thor and the boys will be heading over here soon,” Laufey said as he held up his phone.  “The worst of the rain seems to be over and the forecast predicts clear skies for the rest of the day.  They’re going to work into the evening to make up for the lost time.  So you might want to consider taking your pity party upstairs if you don’t want to be interrupted by the noise.” 

 

Loki had enough sense to look properly chastised. All of the fight that had been amping him up only a few minutes ago had all but fizzled out now.  But he also couldn’t deny that his mood had perked up when his father mentioned that Thor would be coming over after all. 

 

Seeming satisfied that his message had gotten across, Laufey made to leave, but then turned on his heel right before he reached the entranceway to the living room, as if he just remembered something.

 

“And try to stay out of their way, Loki,” Laufey suggested. 

 

Loki’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

 

“I know I had originally suggested you show some interest in their work to get you out of the house.  But you’re out there pretty often chatting with them,” Laufey said, looking at him curiously.  “And while that’s nice, and I’m happy to see you being a bit more outgoing, I’m starting to notice they get easily distracted.  That one Fandral seems to sit around more than anything else.  And Volstagg is going to end up eating us out of house and home.  I’d like this project to be over sooner, rather than later, and we’ve already had a number of setbacks.”

 

Loki felt his face flushing, and tried to hide it by ducking his head and focusing back on his computer.

 

“I don’t intend to go out there today anyway,” Loki muttered. “It’ll be all gross and wet.”

 

“Hmm,” was all Laufey said, before he left.

 

Loki frowned down at his keyboard.  Even his _father_ had noticed how often he went out there and interacted with Thor and his friends.  Laufey had looked perplexed; like he couldn’t quite understand what the appeal was for Loki.  Loki just hoped he hadn’t noticed that, more than anything, Loki was interested in _Thor_.  And as soon as Laufey started to suspect something, it would all come crashing down around them.  Best case scenario, Laufey would pack them up and move them off to some other place where Loki would have to readjust all over again. Worst case scenario?  He’d actually _confront_ Thor, and there were a number of really disturbing outcomes that could stem from that, that Loki didn’t want to even think about.  

 

Loki bit his lip and stared out the window, watching the clouds with consternation.  He knew they were playing a dangerous game.  But for some reason he just didn’t want to give Thor up.  That, in itself, should have been concerning to him, but it _wasn’t_.  And that was the problem. 

 

Looking away, Loki let out a heavy sigh and wondered if maybe he should rethink things.  Before they went too far.  Before he got involved in something he couldn’t get himself out of.     

* * *

When Thor arrived at Laufey’s house, he was riding the tail end of an adrenaline high.  He switched his truck into park and flexed his hands on the steering wheel, looking down at his bruised knuckles.  He grinned, remembering back to how they had spent the earlier part of their day. 

 

Although the rain had postponed their plans to continue working on the construction project, none of them had been particularly disheartened by it.  Because just that morning, Odin had sent a message saying that he had a “job” for them.  So Thor and the Warriors Three found themselves walking into Johnson’s Liquor Store on the outskirts of the city.  It was still early in the morning, so no customers were around.  But with just a head nod from Thor, Hogun was flipping the “Open” sign to “Closed,” locking the door behind them, and turning out the lights in the front room.  There was one scrawny, high-school-age kid manning the register and all Thor had to do was raise one finger up to his lips and the boy nodded quickly holding his hands up and pointing toward the back office. 

 

The four of them walked quietly into the back room, startling the six men sitting there, parsing through boxes of contraband products. 

 

“Borson!” the fattest one said as he stood to his feet.

 

Volstagg stood in front of the door, blocking it, while Fandral and Hogun stood on either side of Thor.

 

“Johnson,” Thor said simply.  “I’m sure you know why I’m here?”  

 

Johnson glared, his fat face flushing red.  The other men jumped to their feet, looking similarly angry, but Thor could also see fear in many of their faces.  They were smart.  Or at least he hoped so. 

 

“You can’t just come in here.  I told your father we would settle up next month,” Johnson said as he backed up.

 

Thor grinned.  No one just _told_ Odin they’d settle up later.  Money was due when it was due.  And Johnson had been short this month.  So Odin had sent them over there to make a point.  No guns, no weapons.  Just good old fashioned skull-bashing.  But that was only because this was a first warning.  And they were only short five grand from their monthly fifteen.  If they hadn’t paid at all?  Well, this meeting would be going a bit differently. 

 

“Well, since I’m standing here, I’m sure you understand that my father didn’t quite appreciate that message,” Thor said as he cracked his knuckles.  “That’s just not how we do business.”

 

Johnson scowled. 

 

What happened next was a flurry of activity.  One of the guys to their left picked up a bottle of vodka, smashing it and rushing toward Thor.  Hogun jumped between them deflecting the blow with a quick elbow to the man’s neck.  To Thor’s right, another of Johnson’s goons had picked up a bat that was tucked away in the corner and was lunging at Fandral.  Volstagg charged from his position by the door, body-slamming two of the men who appeared to be reaching for something underneath the desk. And then everyone was fighting; fists swinging, chairs breaking, glass shattering.  Through all of this, it did not go unnoticed by Thor that Johnson had scrambled toward a back door and was making his getaway.  Thor followed him. 

 

When Thor found him, Johnson was standing by his car, fiddling with his keys.  Thor whistled to get his attention and when Johnson looked up to see him standing there he dropped his keys in fright.  Thor grinned, feeling the familiar thrill of a fight start coursing through his blood, before he brought his fist down, a sickening crack resounding through the deserted parking lot. 

 

When he walked back into the office some time later, he quickly took account of the damage they had left.  All five of Johnson’s men were laid out on the floor, groaning and bleeding, and a bit worse for wear, but looking otherwise whole.  Thor couldn’t say the same for Johnson.  Odin had told him to just rough them up.   Thor hoped leaving Johnson with a jaw that would probably need to be wired back together fell within the purview of what his father would accept. 

 

He called his father to report their progress, and that Johnson had promised (through a mouth full of blood) that Odin would have the rest of the money by the end of the day.  Odin seemed pleased.  He then told Thor that he expected them to make their way over to Laufey’s following their stop at Johnson’s store.  According to Odin, the project was taking longer than anticipated and he wanted them to speed things up.  While engaging in legitimate work on the side was expected to keep suspicions low, too many complications related to their family business had been popping up that summer that he needed them on, and he didn’t like having to split their time.  Protecting the family’s interests was more important, even if it meant having to field more questions from nosy cops than they were used to.  He had even mentioned to Thor the idea of assigning two of the Warriors to finish the project and pulling Thor and someone else off so they could focus more on enforcement for the family business. 

 

Thor had frowned at that.  Any other time before this he would have killed to have his father pull him from a construction project.  Thor liked working with his hands and building, but he wanted to be further entrenched in his father’s _real_ business.  But as soon as Odin suggested pulling him from this project, Thor found himself feeling somewhat cheated.  Like he’d be _missing out_ if he wasn’t there.  Thor knew _exactly_ what he’d feel like he was missing out on, but he didn’t let himself entertain the thought too much. 

 

Instead, he told Odin that pulling them off the project wasn’t necessary.  That they should be done in just a few short weeks, guaranteed.  And that he would, personally, make sure the crew stayed on task and completed the job without cutting any corners.  He told his father he didn’t want Laufey to lose faith in them, or think that they didn’t prioritize his project, because that would be bad for business.  Odin had seemed to agree.  For now.

   

And now Thor found himself helping to unload more materials from the truck as he and his friends prepared to get back to work, and all he really wanted to do was anything but.  Stopping in his tracks, he looked up at the familiar window that faced the backyard.  He could see a light on in the room.  It was a shame.  Thor felt exceptionally pent up.  Like there was an itch he couldn’t scratch.  And seeing Loki—teasing him, playing their little game—felt like exactly what he needed today. 

 

However, in actuality, Thor was already more than tired of the game.  He wanted _more._ But there were very few opportunities to get Loki alone long enough for what he really wanted.   And that reality was driving Thor crazy.  He was at the point where there was a high chance he was going to act recklessly.  And that was something he wasn’t going to let himself do for a bratty 15-year-old, no matter how pretty his eyes, or tempting his mouth.   

 

“Thor, what’re you doing?  Help me with this!” Fandral called out, breaking into his thoughts.

 

Thor turned toward him to see Fandral struggling with a heavy slab of stone he was unloading from the van. 

 

“It’s Friday for crying out loud,” Fandral said.  “It’s already a pain that your dad wants us to step the speed up.  I’m not trying to be here late on a weekend.”

 

Thor rolled his eyes and nodded.   He found himself fighting the urge to turn back and look at Loki’s window again. 

 

Maybe he needed the distraction anyway.

* * *

Laufey shook his head as he stepped outside and locked the door behind him, hefting a small duffle bag over his shoulder.  It was approaching 6:00, and while he had made a valiant effort, in his opinion, to convince Loki to join him for the weekend with Jarnsaxa, he couldn’t spend any more time lingering if he wanted to make it for the dinner reservations they had at 8.  He was already going to be cutting it close.  The drive usually took about an hour and a half, if there _wasn’t_ traffic.

 

Frowning, Laufey made his way over to his car.  He didn’t like the idea of leaving Loki alone by himself for the weekend.  But Loki _was_ 15.  He would be 16, soon, actually, in just under three months.  It wasn’t like he couldn’t be left on his own.  But it still made Laufey a little uncomfortable.  He trusted Loki, for the most part, but he knew how stupid kids could get when left up to their own devices.  He had been a kid once, as well. 

 

He knew Loki had bene hanging out with two neighborhood boys for the better part of the summer: Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.  Laufey had asked around about them.  Both boys were apparently geniuses, having placed out of regular education and currently pursuing accelerated advanced degrees.  Most of what he heard about Bruce had been positive—a quiet boy with a good head on his shoulders, who generally liked to keep to himself and didn’t seem to associate with many other kids his age, except for Tony Stark, who he had been best friends with since grammar school.  Bruce seemed like a perfectly acceptable friend for Loki.  Besides, maybe his dedication to schooling would rub off on Loki, who was bright, but quickly grew bored with the material he was learning in school. 

 

It was the _Stark_ boy, however, that concerned Laufey.  He was apparently the son of the wealthiest people in the town (wealthiest people in the _state_ , it seemed, as well).  From what Laufey had gathered, Tony Stark was privileged and reckless, with parents who were rarely around and a credit card with a nonexistent limit.  The boy had no rules; no control.  He definitely _wasn’t_ the kind of influence Loki, who already liked to push limits, needed.  Laufey couldn’t quite understand what the appeal was for Loki anyway, who he knew liked to be the smartest person in the room and didn’t often respond well to posturing and bravado from others.  The way others in the town described the young Stark, it seemed like the word _obnoxious_ was high on the list for many people.

 

But while Laufey couldn’t quite make sense of Loki’s choice in friends, there was also little he could do to intervene in any relationships Loki decided to strike up with these boys.  It appeared Tony didn’t have a criminal record—which was the first thing Laufey had investigated about him—so he didn’t have a good reason to tell Loki to stay away from him.  And without that, Laufey wasn’t going to be the kind of “because I say so” type of parent and forbid Loki from interacting with Stark, purely because he didn’t like the sound of him.  He knew Loki was finding it hard to make friends here.  What kind of father would he be if he restricted him from one of the only two friends he had? 

 

Laufey didn’t really know what Loki got up to when he spent time with Banner and Stark though.  And no matter how much he asked, all he ever got was some grunted answer or a disinterested shrug from his son.  His _teen_.  It was to be expected, Laufey knew.  But it didn’t make it any easier.  What had happened to the little, affectionate toddler who used to follow him around, staring up at him with big, green eyes?   Lately, all he saw those green eyes do was roll every time Loki thought his back was turned. 

 

But even with all the attitude, Laufey knew Loki had a good head on his shoulders.  But he had been acting quite strangely all summer. Like he had some kind of secret.  But Laufey didn’t see any particularly concerning signs to tip him off to any specific issue.  Loki didn’t sneak out late at night.  He didn’t seem to be dabbling in any substances either.  Laufey was ashamed to admit it, but he had even spent one afternoon when Loki was out with his friends searching his room and hadn’t come across anything; not even stashed porn.  The most he found was a half-empty bottle of lube in his nightstand drawer, but that didn’t even faze him.  He was just happy he hadn’t found _drugs_.  It really seemed like all Loki wanted to do with his time was read comics, play video games and text, excessively.  Which all seemed to be quite consistent with what one would expect from a modern day teenager. But while one teenager was manageable, teenagers in _packs_ were a different story. 

 

So while Laufey didn’t like the idea of Loki staying home by himself, he disliked the idea more of Loki spending the night over at the Stark boy’s house when he was out of town.  So he had made it clear to Loki that if he was going to stay home he was not to go out at night and he was definitely not to have anyone over.  Laufey didn’t know how much Loki would actually listen to him.  But he had put on his no-nonsense face while he had laid down the rules.  The town was small enough that Laufey thought his threat that he “would know” if Loki disobeyed held enough weight that Loki would not try to risk it.  Loki knew Laufey was the king of grounding, and would restrict Loki from anything that wasn’t strictly _necessary_ for survival if he found himself in the unfortunate position of being punished.  On top of not being able to leave the house, Loki would lose his computer, his phone, his games, all his books, and the TV, for _weeks_ , if he got grounded.  The look Loki gave him as he left made Laufey confident that the boy was not willing to risk his summer ending in what was akin to solitary confinement. 

 

Laufey shook his head as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket.  He didn’t _want_ to be the bad guy all the time.  He had left Loki with a stocked fridge and $50 to get him through the weekend, in case he wanted to pig out on junk food.  While he wouldn’t be able to get up to foolishness with his friends while Laufey was gone, he still thought Loki should be able to have a nice weekend.

 

As he pressed the button to unlock his car door, the sound of a buzz saw whirring cut into his thoughts and he turned to look back toward his back yard.  He had forgotten that the Borson company boys were still in his back yard.  He had just assumed, with it being so late, that they had already gone home. His schedule was so erratic that he was often gone before the crew showed up in the morning and came home hours after they had already left.  It was normal for him to go days without seeing them in person, even though he could see the progress, little by little, being made on the project.  It was rare for them to still be there past 4:00 on a Friday afternoon, but the set back with the rain had shifted their schedule.   

 

An idea came to Laufey’s mind, and putting his keys back in his pocket he turned and headed toward the backyard.  Pushing open the gate, he took a quick look around the yard, spying Hogun and Volstagg working on the saw, cutting what appeared to be a number of paving stones.  He couldn’t see Fandral, but he wasn’t surprised.  He had noticed that Fandral was very often conveniently absent when actual work, or heavy lifting, was being done.  But he did seem to have an eye for design, Laufey had to give him that. 

 

He paused as he came across the hunched over form of Thor, working, seemingly painstakingly, on an intricate paving pattern for the walkway.  Laufey observed him for a few moments.  The man was strapping—tall and muscular, with sun-bronzed skin.  His body was the epitome of youth.  Laufey felt a sudden, yet fleeting, spike of envy.  But he quickly shook it off.  With age came wisdom, and there were many things about being in his 20s that had led him to do very stupid things.   

 

As he approached Thor, Laufey could see that the man’s knuckles were bruised—a clear indicator that he had hit something, or _someone_ —recently, and he had to hold back a rueful smile.

 

“Staying late?” Laufey asked.

 

He watched on curiously as Thor’s body went completely still.  It wasn’t the “startle” reaction most people would have when taken unawares. Instead of seeming thrown off, Thor appeared on alert; as if his body was coiled for action.  But then the tension quickly melted from his form, and he turned around to look up at Laufey.

 

“Yeah… Figured I’d get the rest of this walkway done before the weekend.  It’ll probably take us another hour or so, and then we can let it set until we get back on Monday,” Thor explained.

 

His blue eyes then flitted over Laufey’s form, as if taking everything in, and lingered on the small duffle bag clutched in his left hand.

 

“Going somewhere?” he asked, blond brow arched as he nodded toward the bag.

 

Laufey flushed and adjusted the bag, suddenly feeling awkward to mention his weekend plans. 

 

“Um… going to visit a…a friend,” he said.

   

That blond eyebrow arched a bit higher, and there appeared to be a smirk tugging at the corner of Thor’s lip.  Laufey decided to ignore it.  He didn’t need some cocky 20-something making fun of him.  He came out here for a completely different reason, anyway, and he was already running late.   

 

“So, I wanted to ask you for a favor,” Laufey began. 

 

Thor looked a bit put upon, but he put down the tile he had been working with and looked up, giving Laufey his full attention.

 

“I’ve… noticed that you and Loki talk,” Laufey said.

 

He saw that Thor stiffened minutely at the statement, and assuming that Thor thought he was accusing him of something, Laufey quickly continued on to explain himself better. 

 

“I just mean that it seems like you get along.  I’ve seen you sometimes when I look through the back window.  I often find myself wondering what it is you two talk about… What you say that gets him to _want_ to talk to you,” Laufey admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

 

Thor observed him quietly for a few moments, his ice-blue eyes unreadable before he shrugged.  

 

“We don’t really talk about much at all,” Thor said, as he continued arranging the bricks in the pathway.

 

“I’m sure it’s not anything riveting,” Laufey said with a sigh.  “But Loki says more words to you in ten minutes than he’ll sometimes say to me in a _day_.  I have to wonder if there’s something about you that makes him more interested in talking to you than he is with me.” 

 

Thor’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and Laufey wondered if he had offended him somehow.  It was hard to judge with the often-stoic Borson son.  Laufey had dealt with Thor’s father earlier on, who, while intimidating in his own right, seemed to have better diplomacy skills.  Thor could be pleasant when he wanted to be, but it always seemed to depend on what mood you caught him in.  Laufey chalked that up to, yet again, his youth. 

 

“Loki’s a kid,” Thor said, by way of explanation.  “I guess I kind of know how to talk to them.  I’ve got a little brother myself.”

 

“Oh, you do?” Laufey asked, interest piqued. 

 

“Yeah,” Thor muttered, dropping his eyes back down.  “He’s 12.”

 

“Oh.  Hmm, quite an age gap, huh?” Laufey said, laughing. 

 

“Yeah,” Thor admitted, quirking a small smile himself. “He was definitely a surprise.  I wasn’t expecting to suddenly have a sibling for the first time at _13._ ”

 

“I’m sure your father must’ve had his hands full with you two, then, huh?” Laufey said.  “A teenager _and_ a newborn.  God, I don’t know if I could’ve been able to do it.  Loki was a little monster when he hit puberty.  And, between me and you, he still kind of _is_.  But I’m sure he’ll grow out of it. At least I _hope_.” 

 

Laufey smiled fondly, almost wistfully. 

 

“So, uh, about that favor I had mentioned,” Laufey said, getting a bit more serious. “Loki’s going to hate me for asking but… I mentioned I’m going away for the weekend, right?  I don’t really like the idea of leaving him alone. Back home I’d always make sure he’d spend the weekend over at one of his friends’ houses. But here, I don’t know the parents of any of the friends he's made so far.  That's partially my fault. I need to do better once the schoolyear starts.  But for right now, I’d feel more comfortable if he wasn’t out of the house while I’m away.  And… well, while he’s definitely old enough to be on his own, he’s sometimes a little irresponsible.  I told him to make sure he locks everything down and stays safe, but… could you just pop in and check on him before you leave?”

 

Thor’s eyebrow arched as he considered what Laufey was saying.  Laufey watched a multitude of minute expressions pass over Thor’s face, but they were all too brief to discern.  Laufey really had no idea if Thor was going to outright refuse or if he was going to graciously accept.  So he was surprised when Thor’s lips spread into a wide grin, showing him a perfect set of white teeth. 

 

“Sure,” Thor said. “It’d be my _pleasure_.”

* * *

Almost an hour later, Thor watched on as Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg began to pack up the van. 

 

He couldn’t believe how things had worked out earlier.  Laufey had left.  For the _whole_ weekend.  It would be more time than Thor had ever been given access to Loki before.  He already had more than a few ideas of how he wanted to use that time.  And Laufey had even asked Thor to check up on his kid.  Who was he to go against the man’s explicit wishes? 

 

Thor had to fight back the urge to grin. 

 

“Hey, you ready to head out?” Fandral asked, breaking into his thoughts as he slammed the van shut.  “We’re thinking of meeting up at the bar to play some pool in about an hour.  You in?”

 

Thor shrugged, schooling his face and trying his best to appear nonchalant.  As if he _wasn’t_ imagining walking into the house in the next few minutes and pushing Loki up against the first hard surface he could find. 

 

“I think I’m going to have to pass. Laufey’s gonna be away for the weekend and he asked me to make sure his kid wasn’t doing anything stupid to the house while he’s gone.  So I’ve got to check in.  Make sure everything’s locked up.  And, I guess, that the kid is still alive,” Thor said, feigning distaste.

 

“Really?” Fandral asked, looking confused.  

 

Thor couldn’t fault him.  Being charitable wasn’t usually high on the list of things Thor did.  Fandral looked at Thor carefully for a few moments, and Thor stared back, face unreadable.  And then Fandral just shrugged. 

 

“Alright, well, come meet us _after_ then,” he said. 

 

“No can do.  I’ve got _plans_ after that,” Thor said with a smirk.

 

Fandral’s eyes widened and he let out an amused laughed.

 

“Oh, do you?  Since _when_?  And who _is_ it?  Now it makes sense why you’re being all weird and shifty.  You’re trying to ditch us, huh?  Did Romanova finally change her mind about you?” Fandral asked, smirking back. 

 

Thor scoffed and couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“What? _No_.  I definitely can’t even look at her like that anymore,” he said.

 

“ _So_?” Fandral asked excitedly.

 

“So, what?” Thor responded.

 

“Who. Is. It?” Fandral repeated.

 

Thor laughed.

 

“Yeah, right. I don’t kiss and tell,” Thor teased as he turned his back on him and began to gather up his tools.

 

“Oh, I call total bullshit, Thor.  Like _hell_ you don’t!”  Fandral groused.

 

Thor shrugged and laughed again.

 

“That may be, but I’m not telling with this one,” he said.

 

Fandral groaned.

 

“You are unbelievable, man,” Fandral said.  “But, I can’t deny I’m jealous that you've got some sweet thing lined up tonight.  I'll be spending my night with two stinky guys.” 

 

Thor shrugged again, self-assured smirk on his lips.

 

Fandral shook his head and muttered “dick” under his breath as he laughed, and turned around.  Before he had made it even a few feet away, he turned on his heel and called back to Thor.    

 

“Hey, you don’t want to keep her waiting though, right?  Do you want me to check on Lokes instead?  And you can just head out?  I don’t mind,” Fandral offered.

 

“No,” Thor said quickly, and wanted to kick himself before the single syllable had even fully left his lips.

 

Fanral’s brows furrowed in confusion.

 

“Laufey asked me personally,” Thor said.  “So I should be the one to do it.  Besides, it won’t take a long time.  Don’t worry. I’ll be in and out.” 

 

Fandral stared at him for a few seconds more, before nodding. 

 

“Okay. Sounds good.  Have fun tonight, then, huh?” Fandral said, before winking and heading back to the van.

 

As Thor watched his three friends pull away in the van, he couldn’t help but think that Fandral hadn’t looked all that convinced.  But there was no point in worrying about that now.  Thor wasn’t one to let a good opportunity go to waste.  And right now, Loki was waiting for him like some kind of decadent buffet. 

 

He was going to, finally, taste that forbidden fruit. 

* * *

Loki sat in his bedroom, clicking idly through his favorite blog as he waited for the pizza he had ordered to arrive.  He was grumpy because his father had put him on practical house arrest for the weekend, but things could be worse he supposed.  Laufey could have _forced_ him to go with him.  With the way the conversations—and Laufey’s _mood_ —had been progressing throughout the day, Loki was almost convinced Laufey was going to go that route.  But Loki had tried to be conscious of it and keep the snippiness out of his tone.  Besides, he was still feeling pretty guilty about the jab he had taken at his dad earlier in the day.

 

So when it was time for Laufey to actually leave—and Loki knew he had lingered longer than he wanted to just to see if Loki would miraculously change his mind and decide to come along—he had listed out a very strict set of rules with a stern face. But he had ultimately told Loki he trusted him to stay home by himself, and to be, for all intents and purposes, a “good boy.”

 

Loki scoffed at the thought.  “Good boy?” Loki was basically planning to spend his weekend eating junk food, playing games, and jerking off to porn.  His concern that he was maybe getting involved in something that he couldn’t handle by messing around with Thor had gone out the window soon after he had heard the crew arrive earlier that afternoon.  Instead, all he could think about was how _horny_ he was.  He knew he should probably be frustrated with himself and how much of a stereotype he was—teens being driven by their hormones, and all that—but he couldn’t deny that whenever he thought about Thor his head got all fuzzy and his body became tingly and warm, a feeling that flowed from his toes all the way up to the roots of his hair.  And all he could think about was how _good_ it felt when Thor laid his eyes on him.  Laid his _hands_ on him.  

 

Loki was annoyed he hadn’t even been able to really get a good glimpse at Thor all day, even though the man had just been a few feet away, in his own backyard.  Laufey had been _hovering_ , and after his father’s concerning comment that Loki had been showing a suspicious amount of interest in the work Thor and his friends had been doing, Loki had made sure he was especially careful in trying to appear not to “care” when they had shown up that afternoon. 

 

He had been able to get one brief glance out his window into the yard when he had went upstairs to his room, his heart thumping wildly in his chest when he watched the muscles in Thor’s broad back moving under his white t-shirt as he worked on the paving.  There was a familiar, pleasant tightening in his lower stomach as he pressed up against the glass of the window to get a better look.  But then Laufey was walking into his bedroom, asking if Loki had seen his phone charger, and Loki had jumped away from the window, sure he had looked as guilty as he felt.  Laufey stared at him, eyebrow raised but had, thankfully, not inquired further about it.  And Loki had made sure to fight the urge to look out the window again after that. 

 

But once he had stopped thinking with his lower body parts, Loki realized that it was probably all for the best.  He could talk big—could try to convince himself he was bolder than he really was—but when push came to shove, Loki was sure he’d quake like a leaf if he ever had to make the first move with Thor.  And with all their teasing and touching they were hurtling toward a very obvious destination.  Sex.  No. _Fucking_.  That’s what Thor would call it, Loki was sure.  Loki had fantasized so many different scenarios with Thor.  From sweet, gentle love-making in the backseat of Thor’s car, to rushed and dirty rutting up against the side of the house.  

 

But that was all _fantasy_.  Loki was still convinced Thor was just toying with him.  That he was some plaything Thor entertained himself with whenever he was around.  But as soon as he packed up his truck at the end of the day, Loki never crossed his mind.  Except for that one time when Thor came over in the middle of the night.  He had seemed amped up; stressed out but trying not to show it.  And he had had that bruise on his face that he had seemed to not want Loki to acknowledge.  Thor had been so different that night.  And Loki had felt strangely _important_.  But there was never any telling with Thor.  And after that night, Thor had been distant again, almost like he was pretending the night in the car hadn't happened

 

Although, what happened the night at the club couldn't have been predicted.  And Thor had definitely not kept his distance, appearing irate, but also _worried_. And Loki had went back to thinking that he meant something to Thor.  He just could never be sure.  And he was definitely not brave enough to _ask_.  Because, what if Thor actually told him he meant _nothing_?  Loki wasn’t sure he could handle that.   

 

The sound of the doorbell ringing startled him out of his thoughts.  Pushing his laptop off his lap, Loki shot to his feet and hurried down the stairs. He grabbed one of the 20s his father had left for him on the hall table and grabbed the handle to the front door.   

 

When the door swung open, Loki was stunned by who was on the other side of it.  It wasn’t the pizza delivery guy, like he had been anticipating. Instead it was _Thor_.  Standing there with a seductive smirk and looking like sin in his tight white t-shirt, faded jeans, and boots.   Loki literally gawked.  He wondered if he was dreaming.

 

But, Thor was more than real, as he placed his hand on Loki’s chest and pushed him aside, letting himself in.  And locking the door behind him. 

 

Loki took a step back, brain slowly switching back into a functional state as he watched Thor approach him. 

 

“W-wait!” Loki sputtered.  “What are you _doing_ here?’  

 

“You look surprised.  Expecting someone else?” Thor said, a mocking tone to his voice but Loki could tell there was an edge to it.

 

“I’m waiting for a _pizza_ ,” Loki said.  “And you didn’t answer my question.” 

 

Thor smirked again.

 

“Your daddy asked me to check on you.  Apparently he doesn’t trust you not to get up to trouble while he’s gone,” Thor said.  “And I think he has good cause to be worried.” 

 

Loki wanted to hold his ground as he watched Thor continue to approach him.  But he wavered under the predatory look that Thor was giving him, and felt himself warily backing up until his back hit the wall behind him. 

 

“I don’t believe you,” Loki said, voice coming out in a whisper. 

 

Thor was upon him in the blink of an eye, caging him in against the wall with his body, one arm pressed up above his head, the other hand reaching up to stroke Loki’s cheek.  Loki's heart hammered in his chest as he strained his neck to look up at Thor.  Loki was always floored by how blue Thor’s eyes were, and how unreadable. 

 

“Oh, you don’t believe me?” Thor asked, as he ran his thumb along Loki’s jaw until he came into contact with his bottom lip.  “I take it very seriously when I make a promise to someone.  In all aspects of my life.  And if I remember correctly, I’ve made some promises to you.” 

 

Loki found it was hard to swallow, as he continued to stare up at Thor, mesmerized by the rumbling tone of his voice, and the headiness of his proximity.  And then Thor was leaning in, tongue darting out to lick the shell of Loki’s ear.  Loki shuddered, eyes slipping shut.

 

“You ready to give that ass up to me?”  Thor whispered in his ear.  

 

Loki’s eyes snapped open as he looked up at Thor.  The look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t joking.  He looked hungry. And Loki was at a loss for words.  

 

“I want you to go upstairs and get undressed,” Thor said, running his knuckles against Loki’s cheek.  “I’m gonna fuck you tonight.” 

 

Loki was stunned.  He couldn’t really process what Thor was saying, but his body had no problem making sense of it.  And he felt himself get hard so fast it almost winded him.  He let out a soft whimper and Thor’s smirk widened into a grin.

 

“Upstairs.  Now,” Thor said, as he stepped back, giving Loki some room.   

 

And Loki found himself listening.  He swallowed thickly as he stepped away from the wall, eyes still trained on Thor.  As he turned to head toward the stairs he was forced to break eye contact, but he could still feel the heavy weight of Thor’s gaze all over him.  It made his body feel hot and tingly.  Loki wanted to play it cool, but he couldn’t help it as he took the steps two at a time in his rush to get upstairs.  

* * *

Thor watched the boy scramble up the stairs and once he was out of sight, he palmed at the stiff bulge in his pants.  He was too excited.  He needed some time to calm down.  Besides, it’d be good to let Loki stew up there a while.  Let the anticipation build. 

 

Loki was delicious.  Thor didn’t have a better word for it.  He wanted to _bite_ him.  If only to see the way his mark would look on that supple skin.  He loved how pale Loki was.  It was always so easy to see the effect he had on him.  Loki flushed absolutely everywhere, from his cheeks, to the tips of his ears. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Thor willed himself to settle down. He wasn’t going to go up there and give Loki the impression that he had ruffled him.  But that sound the boy made—the _whimper_ —when Thor had whispered in his ear had almost made Thor come undone.  It was pathetic.  Thor needed to be the one in control when he went upstairs. 

 

So Thor took his time.  Walking around the house, locking up the windows and doors.  He _had_ promised Laufey, after all.  He was keeping his promise by making sure Loki was in the house and the house was secure.  He hadn’t made any promises to keep Loki safe from _himself_ though.  He grinned as he thought about it. 

 

Then the doorbell rang and Thor tensed, hand instinctively moving to his waistband until he realized he didn’t have his gun.  He frowned, but forced himself to relax.  It was highly unlikely anyone who was at the door was coming to see _him_.  And even if they were, Thor was more than capable of handling things with his fists anyway.

 

When he pulled the door open, he was faced with a scrawny, pimple-faced kid in a tacky uniform, holding a large pizza box.  The boy was tall, but Thor still loomed over him, and was likely double his size in bulk.  The boy trembled.

 

“Uh—here’s the pizza y-you ordered?” the boy squeaked out as he held the box out to Thor. 

 

Thor had to force himself not to laugh at how scared the kid was.  Instead he schooled his face, giving the kid a look that he knew would make grown men quake in their boots. 

 

“How much?” he growled out.

 

It looked like the boy was really considering telling Thor it was free. 

 

“Um…$13.95?” the boy asked, as if it was negotiable.  

 

Thor reached into his pocket and pulled out a $20.   He grabbed the pizza box and then shoved the bill in the kid’s hand.  Before Thor even closed the door, the kid was halfway down the front walk, scrambling his way back to his car.

 

Thor walked into the kitchen and tossed the box on to the counter, before he flipped it open and saw a piping hot pie, covered in pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms.  Loki had good taste. That’d be a nice snack for _after._

But for right now?  Thor had kept Loki waiting long enough. He grinned as he headed toward the stairs.

* * *

Loki paced back and forth along the length of his bedroom.  Even though Thor’s instructions had been very clear, Loki had found himself overcome with nerves when he made it upstairs.  And he couldn’t bring himself to undress.  He was considering talking his way out of this.  But he wasn’t entirely sure that would be possible with someone like Thor.   

 

But then he heard the heavy thump, thump, thump of booted feet hitting the carpeted steps, and in a matter of seconds Thor was walking into his bedroom and closing the door behind him.

 

As soon as Thor saw Loki standing across his room—still fully dressed—his expression darkened. 

 

“Why aren’t you naked?” Thor asked. 

 

Loki floundered for something to say. 

 

“I… I was thinking… Um, maybe tonight’s not a good night after all?  How about…how about I suck you off instead?” Loki offered.

 

Thor laughed. 

 

“Oh really?  You’re not a good enough cock-sucker for that to be a tempting offer, kid,” Thor said as he stepped closer.

 

Loki flushed, feeling insulted by that and not quite knowing why.  He knew Thor was saying it just to get a rise out of him.  But the humor quickly left Thor’s features. 

 

“Enough fucking around already.  Strip.  Unless you want me to do it _for_ you,” Thor said, as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

 

Looking at Thor’s face, Loki wasn’t quite sure it would be a good idea to take him up on that offer.  So instead, Loki hesitantly began to take his clothes off, feeling his skin heating up as Thor made no attempt to look away.  First went his socks. Then his skinny jeans.  Then his t-shirt.   and when he got to his underwear, he felt his fingers begin to tremble.  He really couldn’t do it.  He couldn’t just stand there in front of Thor, completely naked. 

 

“Is it… is it going to just be me?” Loki asked, self-consciously.

 

Thor’s eyebrow rose in question.

 

“I mean… Aren’t _you_ going to get undressed, too?” Loki asked. 

 

“I will when I feel like it,” Thor said simply. “Now come here.” 

 

Loki swallowed thickly as he walked forward, closing the small space in between them.  When he got within arm’s reach of Thor, Thor grabbed him by the waist and pulled him down so he straddled his lap. Loki gasped, feeling the heat from Thor’s big hands as they wrapped around his hips.  But he preferred this.  He had been expecting Thor to just throw him down on the bed. 

 

“You scared?” Thor asked, amusement evident in his voice, as he held Loki’s gaze with his clear blue ones.

 

“No,” Loki sneered, looking away.  _Yes_ , he thought instead. 

 

“Oh?  So kiss me then,” Thor said.  Like it was a challenge.    

 

Loki was surprised that a kiss was what Thor wanted, but he couldn’t deny how his heart fluttered in his chest.  He closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his lips to Thor’s gently.  It didn’t take long for Thor’s arm to slink around his waist, pressing them chest to chest, and his other hand to thread through Loki’s hair, grabbing it by the fistful.  Thor took control of the kiss, opening his mouth and pushing his tongue into Loki’s.  A sharp inhale and breathy moan escaped Loki’s lips unbidden.  And he couldn’t stop his hands as they scrambled for purchase on Thor’s shirt.  Their tongues battled, and bodies pressed, and soon Loki found himself grinding against Thor’s stomach, seeking relief for the erection he was now sporting. 

 

Thor pulled away and looked down at Loki’s lap. 

 

“I knew you wanted it,” Thor said with a laugh, before he nodded toward the bed behind them.  “Get on your hands and knees.” 

 

Loki stared at him, somewhat frozen in place as it dawned on him what was going to happen next.  But Thor seemed to be tired of waiting for him to follow his orders, so he picked Loki up and bodily moved him from his lap to the bed, ignoring Loki's squawk of protest.  And in a matter of seconds, Thor had yanked down Loki’s underwear, leaving Loki stark-naked on the bed, trying to cover himself. 

 

“Th-Thor… Really.  Wait.  I don’t think I’m ready for this,” Loki said, feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest. 

 

But Thor ignored him as he grabbed his hips, and pulled him so that his face was down on the mattress and his ass was sticking up in the air.  Loki squeezed his eyes shut as he felt Thor pry his thighs apart.  His mind was racing a mile a minute, wondering what Thor would do.  What would it feel like?  Would he be able to take it? 

 

But then Thor did something Loki wasn’t expecting.  He _licked_ him.  Tongue hot and slick, laving against his hole. 

 

Loki let out an undignified squeak, as he tried to move away, unprepared for the feeling, the hot wetness, Thor’s stubble against his skin.  But Thor held on to his hips with a tight grip, mouth hot and hungry against his quivering flesh.  He licked in long, broad strokes, darted with his tongue, and sucked noisily at him.  He even bit him, nipping playfully at the meatiness of his cheeks. 

 

Loki gasped, fingers clutching desperately at the sheets underneath him.  It felt _good_.  So insanely good. 

 

“Hah!  Oh my God.  Thor!” Loki cried out. 

 

He both felt and heard Thor’s throaty chuckle as Thor continued to attend to him.  And although Loki was embarrassed that he was letting Thor do such a thing—that he was _enjoying_ it—Loki couldn’t help himself from pushing back against Thor’s probing tongue.  And when his tongue finally sunk inside, Loki moaned loudly, the sound so embarrassing that he scrambled for one of his pillows so that he could bury his face in it.   

 

“You're gonna pretend like you don’t like this, huh?” Thor asked as he briefly pulled away.  “You look like you’re going to come any second.” 

 

Loki couldn’t deny that.  He was painfully hard and almost delirious with pleasure. He never knew something like this could feel so good, and all he wanted was to get off.  But Thor was barely letting him move as much as he wanted, holding his hips in a firm grasp, doing with him as he wished. 

 

Loki let out a frustrated moan as he twisted his body, trying to move his hands out from underneath him so he could get at his neglected cock.  But before he could do so Thor batted his hand away, pulling it up and behind Loki’s back and holding it there.  And with his other hand Thor grabbed Loki’s cock, stroking it roughly as his tongue continued to delve into Loki’s now sopping wet hole.   Loki saw stars.  He could scarcely cry out before he came all over Thor’s hand, a soft whine escaping his lips. 

 

Shaking and panting, Loki collapsed on the bed.  He was barely cognizant of it when Thor turned him over on to his back, but then Thor was looming over him and Loki looked up at him with glazed eyes. 

 

“Lick it off,” Thor told him as he held his hand up in front of Loki’s face.   

 

Loki blushed, but he didn’t have it in him to fight.  Besides, he felt so good; blissed out.  Eyelids lowering slightly, he grabbed Thor’s hand and brought it to his lips.  He looked up at Thor through his lashes as he licked the salty spend off of Thor’s rough fingers, allowing his tongue to dip and wind between the digits.  He watched as Thor’s eyes darkened, the pupils widening and overtaking the blue. 

 

Thor licked his lips, eyes following Loki’s tongue until he had licked his hand clean.  Then Thor traced the swell of Loki’s bottom lip with his thumb, pushing it in between Loki's lips, before he looked back up at Loki.  Loki’s heart leapt in his chest when he saw how hungrily Thor was watching him.  

 

“Where’s your lube?” Thor asked gruffly.

 

With a shaky hand, Loki pointed to his nightstand.  As Thor shifted to the edge of the bed and rose to retrieve it, Loki found himself watching his body again.  Thor really was an amazingly attractive man, body seemingly sculpted from marble.  All Loki wanted to do was run his hands over him, but he didn't dare.  When Thor found the bottle he tossed it on the bed and then turned toward Loki before he reached down for the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head in one smooth motion. Loki felt himself flushing as Thor’s chest was revealed to him.  He had never had the opportunity to look at Thor this up close, and he allowed himself to look his fill.

 

Thor caught him staring though and let out a huff of laughter as his hands went to the button of his jeans.  Loki knew he probably should have felt self-conscious to be staring so openly, but he wouldn’t miss out on his chance to watch.  Thor kicked off his heavy boots before slipping the jeans down his long, muscular legs.  And then his thumbs dipped into the waistband of his black boxer-briefs, before snapping the elastic, causing Loki’s eyes to dart up to his.  Thor smirked at him, to make sure Loki knew he was doing this for his benefit, before he pulled them down and off, and Loki watched with wide eyes as Thor’s impressive cock sprang up.  He gulped.  Loki’s eyes followed Thor’s hand as it moved down to palm at his hard cock and he couldn’t help the blush that rose to his cheeks.  This was real.  They were really going to _do it_.   

 

Seemingly having had his fill of the teasing, Thor climbed on to the bed and over Loki, his body covering Loki’s completely.  Loki trembled as his arms reached up to try to encircle Thor’s back as his thighs spread unconsciously to accommodate him between them.  Thor felt so big all around him, but Loki liked the feeling.   Thor’s hands were all over him, touching and stroking, like he owned him.  And his mouth immediately went for Loki’s neck, licking and biting a path down his chest.  When Thor’s lips landed on his nipple, Loki gasped, hips arching up and rocking into Thor’s.  He could feel Thor’s cock pressed up against his hip, hot and already slick at the tip.  Loki bit his lip to hold back his moan.

 

He found himself fighting the urge to _ask_ Thor to fuck him.  Even though that was the thing he was most afraid of.  But Thor did things to his head.  And all he wanted was to be consumed by him, no matter what hurdles he had to jump to get it. 

 

But Thor didn’t seem to need any prodding, as one of his hands slipped down between Loki’s legs and prodded at his sensitive hole.  Loki jumped at the unexpected touch, grasping on to Thor’s shoulders in surprise, fingers digging in.  But Thor didn’t look at him or seem to be dissuaded from his goal at all.  Instead he reached for the lube.  Loki watched as Thor squeezed a healthy dollop of the slick liquid on to his fingers. His _thick_ fingers.  Loki remembered what those felt like inside of him and he felt a shiver go through him.  He pressed his legs together unconsciously. 

 

“Open up,” Thor said.  His voice was gruff, strained.

 

Loki followed the order without a second thought, legs falling open even as his heart was jumping in his throat.  Thor laid his hand on his hip to keep him in place, and Loki marveled at how big it was, spanning from his hip bone to the upper part of his thigh.  And then Thor’s fingers were stroking at his hole, sending tendrils of pleasure up his spine.  Thor looked up at him, eyes still darkened and pupils blown wide, and then he pressed the first finger in. 

 

Loki tensed up, mouth forming into a silent “o,” as he tried to get used to the feeling again.  He let out a long breath, trying to relax, and then he felt Thor’s finger slip even deeper.  Thor began to pump his finger, slow but deep, causing Loki to pant each time he pushed inside.  Loki threw his head back, a long moan slipping from his lips as he brought up a hand to stroke at his stiffening cock. 

 

“Fuck,” Thor said.  “You’re so tight.”

 

And then he was pressing two fingers in and Loki gasped.   Two of Thor’s fingers still felt too big, and he let out a hiss of discomfort.  But then Thor was pressing up and rubbing at that place that made Loki’s toes curl.  He was making him feel so good that it trumped the pain, and Loki found himself pushing back on Thor’s fingers. 

 

“Good boy,” Thor said.  “Fuck yourself open.  ‘Cause next you’re getting my cock.”

 

Loki whimpered at that thought as his eyes slid open and he looked down at Thor’s thick cock.  _Jesus Christ_.  

 

Then Thor was pulling his fingers out and grabbing Loki’s thighs, pushing his legs up and apart, so that Loki’s knees were almost touching his shoulders. 

 

“I had wanted you to suck me off before I fucked you, since you offered so nicely,” Thor said, breathing sounding a bit labored.  “But we’ve been playing around too long, and all I really want right now is to get in that tight, sweet hole.” 

 

Loki’s heart thudded in his chest.  It was _happening_.

 

“Here, hold on,” Thor said as he reached for Loki’s hands, making him grab the backs of his knees.

 

Loki blushed, feeling ashamed of being so on display as he held himself open for Thor to do with him as he pleased.  But he also liked the fact that Thor seemed to only have eyes for him in this moment.  That Thor seemed less composed and aloof than he usually did.  And that Loki actually had the ability to get Thor so _worked up_.  He watched, slack-jawed, as Thor poured more lube and slicked himself up.

 

And then Thor was leaning over him, one hand flat on the bed next to Loki’s head, bracing himself, the other guiding his cock.  Loki found himself thinking that he wished Thor would kiss him as he felt the blunt head start to push into him.  But as soon as it breached him, all thoughts were pushed out of his mind and his eyes widened.

 

Loki gasped, shocked by the sharpness of the burning stretch.  It felt so much different than when Thor had used his fingers. 

 

In a panic, he brought his hands up against Thor’s chest and dug his knees into his sides to try to push him away.  But Thor just grunted, grabbing Loki’s hands in one of his own and pulling his hands up above his head, pinning them.  With his other hand, he grabbed the inside of Loki’s thigh, holding his legs open and pushing in a few inches more. 

 

“Thor! Stop! I can’t, I can’t,” Loki pleaded, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. 

 

“Shh,” Thor said, voice tight with strain. “Relax.”

 

“ _No_ ,” Loki choked out, shaking his head.  “Please.  Please, Thor.  It _hurts_.” 

 

Thor grabbed Loki’s chin and turned his head so that he was now facing him.

 

“Hey.  Look at me,” Thor ordered. 

 

Loki’s eyes sprung open and he forced himself to look up into Thor’s face. 

 

“Relax.  You can take it.  Just breathe,” Thor instructed.

 

Loki’s face crumpled, tears falling now, overwhelmed by the myriad of sensations coursing through him.  He felt raw.  Stripped of all his protection.  Completely vulnerable and exposed.  Impaled and broken open.  And he knew Thor wasn’t even close to halfway inside yet.  He whimpered. 

 

“Shh,” Thor said again.

 

But Loki couldn’t calm down.  He was feeling too many emotions. 

 

“Hey," Thor said, grabbing his face and forcing Loki to look at him.  “Kiss me.  Come on.”   

 

Loki blinked through his tears, confused at what Thor was saying.  But then Thor’s mouth was on his.  Hot and wet, his tongue licking into his mouth, and Loki moaned.  Thor still held his hands above his head, restricting his movement, but Loki found himself melting into the kiss. Thor gave a shallow thrust of his hips and Loki hissed against his mouth, feeling himself opening up even more.  It was hard for Loki to will himself to relax and let him in.  It went against everything his body was used to.  But kissing Thor—having his big, hot body all around him—was doing a good job at distracting him. 

 

Thor licked and bit at his lips, sucking on Loki’s tongue and making Loki’s mind turn to mush.  And then Thor’s hand slipped from Loki’s face and down in between their bodies, stroking Loki’s cock back into hardness, and Loki found himself bucking his hips slightly, pressing up into Thor’s hand and back down onto Thor’s cock that was insistently pressing its way inside of him.  Thor continued to kiss him as he slowly pumped his hips, driving himself deeper each time.  He wasn’t exactly _gentle_ , but Loki knew Thor was going easy on him.  Letting him adjust.  And he was grateful.  Thor felt huge inside of him, but there was also a pleasant throbbing blossoming inside of him from being so completely filled.

  

Once Thor was fully seated he came to a stop and Loki let out a shuddery breath.  It was overwhelming and incredible. He needed something to anchor him.  He pulled his hands, trying to free them from Thor’s grip and Thor tightened his hold on his wrists, a clear sign he wanted him to stop struggling.

 

 “I-I need… I want to touch you,” Loki whimpered, bucking a bit and trying to free his hands again.   

 

Thor stared down at him, his clear blue eyes framed by his spiky, blond lashes.  He looked like he was on the edge of control, face flushed, and brows furrowed in concentration.  Like he was really trying to hold back.  And Loki was sure part of that was being accomplished by Thor controlling his movements.  But Loki _needed_ to touch him.  He whimpered, swiveling his hips a bit and watched as Thor’s lashes fluttered, pleasure clearly passing over his features.  And then Loki felt the grip on his wrists loosening. 

 

As soon as his hands were free, Loki was wrapping his arms around Thor’s broad back, pulling him closer.  And it was like the reins had been snapped.  Thor started thrusting harder, deeper.  The slick, wet sounds filling the room made Loki blush.  But his toes were curling and he couldn’t ignore how good the drag and pull of Thor’s cock inside him felt.  He couldn’t hold back his moans, panting in Thor’s ears and softly whispering “yes” every time Thor pushed back in.  It seemed Thor liked that because then he let out a grunt as he grabbed at Loki’s hips, pulling his legs up so he could better leverage his thrusts. 

 

Loki let out a startled gasp as Thor shifted within him.  But it wasn’t from pain.  Thor was hitting that spot inside of him that made him see stars, and it was even better than when he did it with his fingers.  Loki’s nails dug into Thor’s shoulders and he let out a high-pitched whine when Thor hit that spot again.  And it was like he had told Thor “X marks the spot,” because Thor proceeded to pound into him, hitting that spot over and over again. 

 

“Fuck, Th-Thor!” Loki yelped as he felt himself coming again. 

 

His orgasm ripped through him, making him feel completely undone, and he came hard, his come arcing up and painting his chest.  

 

“Shit,” Thor said, as he was forced to come to a stop, Loki’s body clamping down around him. 

 

As soon as the tension left Loki's body, he felt Thor pull out.  Loki whined at the loss of him inside of him, and how strange and empty he felt.  But then Thor flipped him over on to his stomach, and pushed back in making Loki gasp.  Loki felt boneless, on top of displeased that he was now lying in his own come, but his body was still humming with sensation, and he couldn’t help the soft, breathy moans he let out as Thor pounded into him with hard, deep thrusts as he sought his own climax.  It started to feel like almost too much as his body became over-sensitized, but then suddenly Thor was tensing up and coming with a long, low moan.  Loki felt as if he could actually feel his cock pulsing within him.  Grabbing his hips tightly, Thor thrust a few more times before he finally pulled out.   

 

Then Thor slapped his ass—actually _slapped his ass—_ before he flopped down next to Loki in the bed, folding his arms behind his head and looking quite pleased with himself.  Loki wanted to get angry with him, but Thor was giving him a smug, heady-eyed look and instead of anger, Loki felt his stomach doing that flip-flop all over again, and more than anything he was fighting not to smile lazily back at him.   Loki knew he should probably get up, since he was currently lying on his stomach in his own come and could already feel the sticky trail of Thor’s come running down his thighs, but he found he could barely keep his eyes opened.

 

Instead, he continued to look at Thor as he felt his eyelids getting heavier.  He didn’t think about all the problems that would stem from this.  Or that he still really had no idea what he meant to the cocky blond lying across from him.  The only thing he was aware of thinking was that he was just happy Thor was there. 

* * *

When Loki woke up a few hours later, he was groggy and bleary-eyed.  He was having trouble piecing his thoughts together.  It felt late, but he had no idea what time it was.  He also didn’t understand why his body felt like it had been hit by a freight truck.  But then he shot up into a sitting position when he suddenly remembered, and it all came flooding back to him with startling clarity.  His body _had_ been hit by a truck. If you called a 6’ 4” blond a truck. 

 

Looking around, Loki realized he was in the room alone.  And the feeling that hit him in his gut at that realization was raw and painful.  He hadn’t really _expected_ Thor to still be there when he woke up—this was all just about sex for him, of course—but he had never expected the actual feeling of being tossed to the side to _hurt_ so much. 

 

Loki felt tears burning at the corner of his eyes, and angrily wiped them away.  He knew he was being stupid to feel so used.  But he knew exactly why he did.  He had given something to Thor that was _important._ Didn’t it matter to Thor that that was his first time?  Couldn't he have at least stuck around to make sure Loki was okay?  Was Thor really _that_ heartless?  On top of that, Loki couldn’t ignore the niggling feeling that, now that Thor had gotten what he wanted, he would just drop Loki like a toy that had lost its novelty.  Now that he had no more _use_ for him.

 

Loki immediately found himself worrying if he had made himself too easy.  Should he have held out more, if he wanted to keep Thor?  But he told himself that that wouldn’t have worked.  He had already felt so uncertain that he even mattered to Thor before last night. But when Thor had been holding him, kissing him, and looking at him like he was the only thing that mattered in that moment, Loki had felt somewhat treasured.  And knowing that Thor had gone easy on him, instead of just taking his pleasure, indifferent to Loki’s, had made Loki start to think that maybe Thor felt more for him than he was willing to show. 

 

But, none of that mattered now.  Thor had just snuck out on him, in the middle of the night.  Clearly he didn’t _care_ if he could just do something like that, without even saying goodbye.  Loki felt his throat tightening, the familiar feeling of tears coming on.  But before he could give himself over to open self-pitying sobbing, the door creaked open. 

 

Shocked, Loki grabbed the sheet and pulled it over himself, terrified that maybe his father had come home early.  But when he looked toward the door to his bedroom, the only person he saw standing there was Thor _._  Shirtless, with just his jeans on, and a slice of pizza hanging from his mouth.  _Thor_. 

 

Thor stared at him, and Loki could see his expression change as his eyes roved over him, and suddenly Loki realized that he must _look_ like he’d been on the verge of crying.  He flushed, but fought the urge to wipe at his eyes.   That would just confirm Thor’s suspicions.  Even with his embarrassment, more than anything, Loki found himself fighting to hold back a smile, so relieved was he that Thor had actually _stayed._ But he didn’t want to show this to Thor.  Somehow he knew that it wouldn’t be wise to show Thor how attached he was after what had happened last night.  That that would likely drive him away.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you _now_?” Thor groused as he made his way back over to the bed. 

 

Loki watched as he sat down, feeling the excitement bubbling up in his chest. 

 

“Wh-what’re you still doing here?” Loki asked instead, blinking rapidly to help clear the remainder of his tears away.

 

“Oh?  You want me to leave, huh?” Thor asked with a quirked eyebrow.

 

“No!” Loki almost shouted, but then blushed as he realized how desperate he sounded.  “I didn’t _say_ that.  I’m just… surprised, is all.”

 

Thor frowned, chewing silently to himself as he settled back against the pillows.  Loki couldn’t help but stare at him.  It was rare that he had ever been able to just _look_ at Thor like this.  He seemed so much more relaxed—mellowed out even—in the dark quiet of the bedroom.

 

“It’s a pain to go home right now,” Thor said with a shrug.  “Don’t worry though.  I highly doubt I’ll be here when you wake up again.”  

 

“Well...my dad is gone for the whole weekend, so...I mean, you don’t _have_ to go,” Loki said shyly, as he looked down at his fingernails.  

 

Thor laughed.

 

“Aw, you get honest when you’ve been thoroughly fucked, don't you?  It’s cute,” Thor said as he flicked the tip of his nose.  

 

Loki flushed and glared at him, feeling his hackles rising as usual.  Thor always brought out the worst in him. 

 

“What makes you think it was any good?” Loki asked, snidely.   

 

Thor smiled at him.  But it wasn’t a nice smile.

 

“Oh?  Is that so?  So all of the “oh, Thor” and “yes, yes, yes,” was just for show?  I guess you coming all over yourself, _twice,_ was an illusion as well?  Please.  You’ll never get it as good as you got it from me.  But if you seem to think I need to prove you wrong, I won’t go as easy on you next time,” Thor said, as he leaned in close. 

 

Loki felt himself tremble, a familiar feeling of want pulsing in his lower stomach.  But he couldn’t entertain that look Thor was giving him right now.  He was way too sore to go another round.  Especially if Thor was promising not to “go easy.”

 

So Loki looked away, and said nothing. 

 

“Admit it.  You liked it,” Thor said as he lay down, making himself comfortable as he continued chewing on the pizza.   

 

Loki lay down as well, feeling as if this was surreal; like it was a dream from which he would wake up at any moment.  He couldn’t really believe that he was lyingin bed next to Thor—close enough they could be _snuggling_ —and there was no sense of urgency.   It was like they were in their own little bubble.

 

“Hey, I asked you a question,” Thor said, frowning at him.

 

Loki flushed, remembering what Thor had said, and looked away, not really knowing how to talk about things like _that_. 

 

“Um...well...It...it wasn't _bad_ ,” Loki said.

 

“It wasn't “bad?”” Thor repeated with a laugh.  “Came two times, remember?”

 

Loki's face reddened even more.

 

“Fine.  What’s so wrong if I liked it?” he asked, snippily.

 

Thor sighed as he closed his eyes and smiled. 

 

“You can never be honest, can you?  That’s why I liked messing with you so much in the first place.  You’re so easy to work up.  Kinda like clockwork,” Thor said. 

 

Loki frowned, and scooched a little closer.  Thor thought he was predictable?  Well, Loki was always one to prove someone wrong.

 

“Ok, I liked it,” he admitted, whispering in Thor’s ear.  “I really liked it when you… you _licked_ me.  And I liked how big you felt inside of me.  I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to take it at first, but once it was all inside I started to ask myself how I had ever lived without it.” 

 

Thor's eyes shot open, and Loki felt his heart stutter in his chest at how heated his gaze was. 

 

“You trying to get me to fuck you again?” Thor asked as he looked at him suggestively. 

 

Loki flushed, and shook his head “no.”   

 

“Then go back to sleep,” Thor said as he wrapped his arm around Loki’s shoulders and pulled him down, so he was pressed up against Thor’s side. 

 

Loki froze, heart hammering against his rib cage, and afraid to move, lest Thor push him away.  But minutes ticked by and soon Loki realized that Thor had fallen asleep.  He felt his body relax against Thor’s, as he slung an arm around Thor’s waist and laid his head on his chest.  Sleep came easier to him than it had in a long time.     

* * *

Thor snuck out a little before dawn.  When he woke up, Loki had been wrapped around him like an octopus.  It wasn’t surprising that the kid would get clingy.  What with Thor having been as _sappy_ as he had been throughout the night.  He had never intended to give Loki so much attention.  His plans had been all about going upstairs, fucking the kid hard, and getting him out of his system. Instead, as soon as Loki had looked up at him with those teary eyes, Thor had found himself kissing him.  And the idea that he could get Loki out of his system had been proven to be a foolish one as well.  Because, now that he knew what Loki felt like, what he _tasted_ like, Thor found himself wanting nothing more than to indulge in him again and again. 

 

The fact that he had even been there when the kid woke up the first time was telling in itself.  Thor’s excuse that it would be a “pain” to go home had been weak at best.  In reality, it would have been better for Thor to have snuck out then. It was just after midnight.  Instead, he found himself heading to his truck, which had been conspicuously parked on the street all night, a little before 5 am in the morning.  Who knew who he could run into?  There were always nosy neighbors.  And while he didn’t worry that they would do or say anything to _him_ , Thor definitely didn’t need gossipy housewives telling Laufey that Thor had been sneaking out of his house at some ungodly hour.  While Laufey was out of town.  And his teenage son was home alone.  Too many questions indeed. 

 

Grumbling to himself, Thor piled into his truck and headed across town to his parents’ estate.  He had forgotten he was supposed to be meeting with Odin later that afternoon, and wondered to himself if Odin had been curious as to what Thor had been up to the previous night.  Thor had a penthouse in a high rise in the city, owned by his father’s company, where he often went when he got up to things he wanted to do outside of his father’s purview.  But he also spent a good majority of his time at the guesthouse at his parents’ place.  It was important to be able to be close to home, especially with Odin having so many enemies, and with him being unable to be home with Frigga and Balder at all times.  Thor liked to keep an eye out for them, even with the security they had.  No one protected family like family.  Frigga was pretty good with a variety of guns.  He knew his mother could hold her own.  But Balder was pretty much ignorant to the inner workings of their business.  And no one would task a 12-year-old with that type of responsibility anyway. 

 

Even though Thor was the boss's son, Odin kept tabs on him. They weren’t formal, but it was like a grapevine of information.  If Thor was with the Warriors Three over at the Realm, then they reported back to Tyr, and Tyr reported to Odin.  If Thor was with Sif, going through the books, then she would update Odin.  It was important to know where Thor was because if the son of the boss went missing, there was often something very sinister afoot.  Thor had actually even been kidnapped once, when he was a kid, by a rival family’s boss.  That man hadn’t lived to see the end of that day.  Even with all that said, it wasn’t like the idea of something happening to him was entirely unheard of.  But Thor was a big boy, and was more than capable of handling himself. 

 

Though that didn't stop Odin from obsessing.  Or, more accurately, as Odin liked to put it, “anticipating all possibilities.”  In other words, Odin expected to know everything, at all times.  But Odin hadn’t called him last night.  Fandral had probably insinuated that Thor was “with some girl.”  Odin wouldn’t like that Thor was off the map, but he wouldn’t find it too suspicious.  Thor was known for things like that anyway. Thor only hoped his father didn’t ask any questions. 

 

When Thor pulled up the long driveway to their four-car garage, the sun was already rising in the sky.  Thor wanted to tumble into bed and get a few more hours of sleep before he had to deal with meeting with Odin and Tyr at noon.  They were going to be discussing the negotiation of some new trade deals.  And looking at contracts.  All the boring things Thor hated.  But Tyr had stressed to him that if he wanted Odin to take him seriously as the successor, he needed to show equal levels of interests in all aspects of their operation. 

 

Thor jumped out the car and walked into the main hall.  He was going to get some quick breakfast before heading over to the guesthouse.  The “guesthouse” was a three-bedroom, two bath villa, equipped with a chef’s kitchen.  But Thor hated to cook and he never remembered to leave a grocery list for the maid.  So his kitchen was always quite pitifully empty. 

 

When he made it back to the kitchen, he was surprised to see Odin sitting at the large marble island, drinking coffee and reading the paper. 

 

Odin looked up at him over the top of his paper, lone good eye taking in Thor’s appearance from head to toe.

 

“Early morning or late night?” Odin asked simply.

 

Thor chuckled as he turned his back on his father to get a mug out of the cupboard.

 

“When have you ever known me to do early mornings?” Thor asked.

 

“Hmm...” was all Odin said.

 

A few moments of silence ticked by, in which Thor helped himself to the French press coffee that was sitting on the counter, before Odin spoke again.

 

“You’ve been distracted, lately, Thor,” Odin said. 

 

It wasn't a question.

 

Thor froze in mid-sip of his coffee and frowned. 

 

“What do you mean?”  he asked. 

 

“You aren’t as focused as you usually are.  I’ve been hearing reports that you've been letting your emotions cloud your judgment again...  Like that situation that happened with Ronan at the club the other night.  I heard you two almost came to blows,” Odin said with a frown.  “And no one knew where you disappeared to last night.  So now you’re even keeping things from your crew?" 

 

Thor scoffed.

 

“That thing with Ronan had nothing to do with me.  That asshole needs to stay off our turf.  And, no offense dad, but I don’t really owe it to my boys to let them know who I fuck,” Thor said. 

 

Odin glared at him, making it clear that Thor was toeing the line of disrespect.  He then took a deep breath, as if calming himself, before he spoke again.

 

“The _point_ is that you need to remember what's important.  None of us can afford distractions if we want to stay in this business.  And if you can’t seem to avoid distractions on your own, then I’ll make sure to get rid of them _for_ you. Is that clear, Thor?” Odin said. 

 

Thor frowned as he put the coffee down, no longer having an appetite.

 

“Crystal, sir,” he said.

* * *

A/N:  There you have it!  I hope you guys enjoyed! :)  It went a little differently than I had originally planned, but my characters often tend to hijack my stories, so what can you do?  ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Anywho, sorry again for the loooonngg time in between updates :/.  It’s been hard juggling this fic and school.  I think I may need to take a bit of a hiatus from it for a little while to get back my mojo!  But don’t panic! In the meantime, I’ll be working on some one-shot WIPs I’ve been wanting to write for _forever_.  That always helps to get my head back in the game. I’ll return to this fic as soon as I get a better idea of where I want to go next with it!

 

Happy Holidays, and see you in the New Year!!  [tumblr](http://laydee-liesmith.tumblr.com/)

 

Xoxo  


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hi everyone, I’ll try to keep this short and sweet.  So sorry about the more than a _year_ since I last posted.  Unsurprisingly, the responsibilities of life have been taking a toll on me, and with juggling being in a PhD program, some family things, and some personal things, writing was at many times not possible and at other times the last thing I wanted to do.  With that said, I do not want to abandon this story, so I will continue to try to update when I can find the time.  This chapter may not be _so_ exciting, but it follows most naturally from where things left off in chapter 9. 

Also, wanna give a BIG thank you to [SatansSin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SatansSin) for beta-reading this chapter (and for always being my cheerleader on this fic! x3)

* * *

When Loki woke up again it was already late morning.  His brows furrowed as his eyes opened, unable to continue to fight against the bright light streaming in through his window.  He groaned in protest as he shifted, body twinging and throbbing.  Loki squinted as he turned on his side, hand reaching out blindly for his cellphone.  He was vaguely aware that that had been what had woken him up in the first place. 

 

Once his hand landed on it and he blearily blinked at the screen, he frowned to see four texts from Tony.  There were no texts, however, from Thor.

 

 _Thor_.

 

Loki rolled on to his back, not even bothering to read Tony’s texts and took a deep, shaky breath, his heart squeezing painfully in his chest.  He didn’t have to look around to know that, this time, Thor really was gone.  The bed beside him was cold.  The house was quiet.  There was no way Thor was going to still be in his house at—Loki picked up his phone again to glance at the screen—10:25 in the morning. 

 

Apparently Thor didn’t see him as something that was worth hanging around for, once he had gotten what he wanted. 

 

Loki sighed heavily, closing his eyes and forcing himself _not_ to think about the litany of things his brain was itching to think about.  Like, what did it mean that he and Thor had finally had sex?  Did he mean more to Thor now?  _Less_?  Would things be different between them?  

 

Loki shifted in place.  The night before almost felt like a dream.  But Loki knew it hadn’t been.  He could feel everywhere Thor had touched, tingling, making his skin buzz.  He _throbbed_ inside.  And he was sticky between his thighs.  He blushed at the thought.  Thor had left a trace on him.  Another way to make sure Loki wouldn’t forget the night before.  He wondered if he’d ever feel the same again, or was he forever changed? 

 

He sighed heavily, and threw his arm over his eyes.

  

Loki didn’t quite understand his feelings.  He _liked_ Thor.  Loki knew that for sure now.  He could tell it to himself, without denying it or trying to convince himself otherwise.  He wasn’t surprised that he felt this way, even more concretely, after what had transpired last night.  Sleeping with Thor had changed things.  It solidified Loki’s desire to want to be with him.  To want to know more about him.  For Thor to want to know more about _Loki_. 

 

And Loki had definitely liked what Thor had done to him, a thought that dawned on him with certainty, making his cheeks flush and his stomach throb pleasantly.  Sure, it had been scary at first.  He had been nervous, his brain racketing with hundreds of thoughts.  He wasn’t sure if he would do it right.  If he would fumble things up.  Embarrass himself.  And the fear of the unknown—not knowing what to expect—had sent butterflies battering around his stomach.  But then Thor was kissing him.  And touching him.  Making him see stars.  Making him tremble.  It had been… _great_.  And Loki wanted Thor to do it again.  He wanted Thor to _want_ to do it again.  And, right now, Loki wasn’t sure Thor would. 

 

Had Loki been good enough?  Was he exciting for someone like Thor, who had probably slept with dozens of people?  Loki was frustrated with himself.  That he had just laid there and made Thor do all the work.  In his fantasies, Loki had always seen himself as being much more in control.  But when the real thing finally happened, Loki had been completely overwhelmed.  By emotions, and sensations, sounds and words.  It had exceeded anything Loki could have thought up on his own.  And all he could do in the moment was just _experience_ it. Loki had tried to be seductive, afterward, once he got over the shock of realizing that Thor had stayed.  He had tried to be more confident than he had really felt, flirtatious and bold.  It had seemed like Thor had liked that.  But Loki had no way of knowing for sure.  He really had no idea _what_ he was doing.

 

Did everyone find navigating this stuff to be so complicated?  Or was Loki just defunct in some way?  

 

Groaning to himself as he tried to push the spiraling thoughts away, Loki couldn’t deny that he felt like crap that morning.  It would’ve been nice to just lie in bed all day, but he knew that all that would lead to would be more wallowing and unproductive thoughts.  It wasn’t like _Thor_ was going to be spending his Saturday obsessing about Loki. 

 

Picking his phone back up, Loki decided to finally read Tony’s messages and see what he wanted.  Scrolling through them, Loki could see Tony was insistently asking if they were still planning on meeting up that morning.  Loki had forgotten all about it.  He had texted Tony yesterday about his dad going out of town and how bored he was going to be.  Tony had first quipped about throwing a “rager” in Loki’s father’s absence, or getting up to some other monumental level of no good, but when Loki had balked, Tony settled on engaging in plebeian activities, like a simple weekend hangout with just Tony, Loki, and Bruce.   

 

Sighing, Loki quickly tapped out a message: _Not feeling so great today. Not up to going out._

 

Dropping the phone back down on his chest, Loki stared up at his ceiling sullenly.  Was he really going to just lie in bed all day, moping about Thor?

 

Picking his phone back up, he sent another message: _But you guys could come over here if you want_. 

 

The last thing Loki really wanted was to spend his day listening to Tony drone on.  But Loki didn’t want to be alone, either.    

 

It was only about two minutes later when he received a response.

 

 _Tony_ : _Oh?  We’re finally deemed worthy enough to come over?  I’m guessing it’s cuz daddy’s out of town huh?  :p_

_Tony_ :  _We’ll be there at 1._ _Prepare to get your MIND. BLOWN._

 

Loki sighed again as he tossed his phone back on his pillow, not even bothering to encourage Tony with a response.

 

He had an hour and a half before Tony and Bruce would show up.  Until then, he would be left in his big, empty house, at the mercy of his own thoughts. 

 

Loki had so many emotions tumbling around inside of him and he was just itching to talk to someone.  _Anyone_.  But who could he tell? 

 

It wasn’t like he could talk to Thor about it.  That was out of the question.  And he didn’t trust Tony enough not to make fun of him, or find some way to embarrass him.  And while he did like Bruce, and was sure the older boy _wouldn’t_ make fun of him, Loki was too embarrassed to discuss things like…relationships, and feelings, and _sex_ with Bruce Banner.  Steve was also completely out of the question.  On top of Steve being likely to clutch his pearls and give Loki a lecture about being “sexually active,” Loki was smart enough to know there was bad blood between Thor and Steve and Steve would likely use any information he could to bring Thor down.

 

No, it really felt like there was no one to talk to.  No one _here_ at least.  But that gave Loki an idea.  He didn’t know if it was the best idea, but there were too many thoughts in his head for him to think clearly and rationally at the moment.  He just needed to get it out of his system. 

 

Taking a deep breath, Loki picked his phone back up, and scrolled to a name he hadn’t texted in a while.

 

Sigyn.

 

He and Sigyn had texted every day, _multiple_ times a day, when Loki had first moved.  He had been miserable, and lonely, and angry at the world, and Sigyn was one of the only constants that never failed to make him feel better.  But Loki had soon realized that hearing about what his old gang was up to, and being practically thirsty for gossip about people who were more than 1500 miles away, was just making him more homesick. So he had made the difficult decision to ask Sigyn to help wean him off and force him to stop pining for a life he no longer had.  And,  little by little, the texts had dwindled to once a day, then once every few days, until now they texted maybe once a week.  He found that it was ultimately for the best.  He couldn’t see his friends or be a part of the things he missed from his old life, so it was better (as Sigyn had encouraged him) to try to find things he could enjoy in his new town.  He, was, however, looking forward to traveling back home to see his friends over winter break.  Until then, he had to make do with the restricted texting schedule they had devised.

 

But this moment was an emergency.  And Sigyn’s opinion was one he valued more than most others.  But he hadn’t told her _anything_ about Thor, not even something as simple as “there’s a hot construction worker in my backyard,” and he was worried that she would be angry or feel betrayed.        

 

Loki’s stomach was in knots as he envisioned what her reaction might be, but he forced himself to quickly type out a simple message: “I slept with someone.”  No beating around the bush. 

 

Three painfully slow minutes crept by, Loki’s phone clutched in a white-knuckle grip, before his phone blew up with a slew of back to back messages:

 

“WHAT??????”

 

“OMG, you’re shitting me. Whaaaaat??!”

 

“ahhgghhhhh!!!!”

 

“Who?!  When??”

 

“Omg, Looooookkkiiii!!!!”

 

Before Loki could even type a response, his phone was ringing.

 

He gulped, feeling almost like he wanted to vomit, but knew he had to answer it.  You couldn’t just throw a statement like that out there and then refuse to answer your phone.

 

Hesitantly he brought his phone up to his ear and accepted the call.

 

“ _Loki_!” Sigyn all but screeched in his ear, causing him to wince. “What??”

 

It seemed like Loki had broken her.  Once articulate Sigyn was now reduced to a limited vocabulary of “Loki,” “OMG” and “what.”

 

“I didn’t even know you were dating someone, much less _fucking_!” she said, voice still in the same high octave that she had berated him with when he answered. 

 

“Shhh, you’re too loud!” he hissed, already worried that her parents would overhear her and go running to his father with the “news.”

 

“Oh, get over it, no one’s home, and don’t try to avoid the subject. Spill!  Who are you dating??” she insisted.  

 

“I’m not…dating anyone,” Loki said, admitting the words more painful than he thought it would be. 

 

“Wait, who is it then?  Is it one of those guys you’ve been hanging out with?  Tony?  Or Bruce?” she asked.

 

The sheer thought made Loki shudder.

 

“Eww, no,” Loki said.  “It’s not… well I haven’t talked about him before.”

 

“Ooh, so some other guy from the neighborhood?  Someone you’ll be going to school with?” Sigyn asked, and Loki could already picture her making suggestive waggles with her eyebrows.

 

Loki huffed. 

 

“He’s not _in_ high school.  Sigyn, can we focus on what’s important here?” Loki asked.

 

“Not in high school?” she asked, completely ignoring him.  “What do you mean not in high school?”

 

Loki hesitated for a moment, but it wasn’t like she would let it go.

 

“He’s… older,” Loki offered.

 

“Older?  How much older?” she asked.

 

And Loki groaned, she sounded like a broken record, repeating everything he said back to him. 

 

“ _Older_ ,” Loki said, trying to avoid going in to details.

 

“Loki, cut the bullshit,” Sigyn, said, voice taking on a serious tone.

 

Loki flinched.  Sigyn always had that power over him.  She was just one year older than him, but Loki had always felt like she was so wise and rational. She was always the person Loki ran to when he had a problem, and he knew she would always have his back. So if Sigyn ever seemed displeased, Loki always wanted to strive hard to get back in her good graces.  Her opinion of him really mattered.   

 

“Sigyn… I can’t really… Can we not?” he pleaded.  “Can you just talk to me about this, but don’t ask too many questions?”

 

She was silent for a second, before letting out a soft sigh.

 

“Ok, Lo-Lo, but just tell me this: did you sleep with him because you _wanted_ to?” she asked.

 

Loki knew exactly what she was asking.  She was worried he had gotten himself caught up in something he didn’t want.  Loki wasn’t naïve; he knew that almost everything about what he had with Thor was “problematic.”  Thor was 10 years older than him.  Thor was an adult, and Loki was a minor.  What they did— _everything_ they did together—was _illegal_.  And their first encounters definitely had blurry lines.  But did Loki want what happened last night?  If he was being honest with himself, the answer was emphatically YES.  When he saw Thor show up last night at his door, with no warning, Loki’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. 

 

He hadn’t been mentally prepared in that moment, but as soon as Thor had uttered the word— _promised_ that he was going to come upstairs and fuck him—Loki had never been more turned on his life.  But even more than that, Loki wanted it _because_ it was Thor.  Because Loki _liked_ him.  He knew now that it wasn’t just his body reacting in ways he couldn’t control.  He reacted to Thor because he wanted him.  All of him. His good parts and bad parts, both. 

 

“Yeah,” Loki whispered.  “I wanted it.” 

 

Sigyn was silent for a few moments more, before replying.

 

“Okay then, then I won’t judge. I promise,” she said.  “Now tell me all about him.” 

 

Loki felt a sense of relief wash over him as he laughed.  He wasn’t fooling himself; he knew Sigyn probably didn’t approve. But it meant a lot to him that she was willing to listen anyway.

 

“I don’t know how much there is to tell.  Uh… he’s tall, really muscular, blond hair, blue eyes,” Loki said, feeling embarrassed to be describing Thor, but feeling himself smiling at the same time. 

 

“Why am I not surprised?” Sigyn asked, with a chuckle.  “You’ve had a type that you’ve always crushed on, that’s for sure.” 

 

Loki rolled his eyes.

 

“So you think he’s handsome?” she asked, and Loki could picture her making those teasing eyebrow waggles again.

 

“Yes, he’s handsome,” Loki muttered begrudgingly.

 

“So, you kept this guy all to yourself for who _knows_ how long.  Why’d you suddenly want to tell me about him now?” she asked.  “I don’t think it’s just because you’ve slept with him.”

 

Sigyn was always unnecessarily perceptive.  Something Loki loved and hated about her.

 

“I… just, I don’t know, I’m pretty confused now that we’ve taken this step,” Loki said, hoping for some advice from her.

 

“Confused in what way?” she asked. 

 

“Well…most of what we’ve done together has been…uh, _physical_ ,” he admitted, face heating up again. “I just don’t know if he wants anything more than that.”

 

“Wow, Lo-Lo, you really have been busy and not filling me in at all,” she said.

 

Loki huffed.

 

“Okay, okay,” Sigyn said.  “I’ll focus on what you want to talk about, for now.  So…you guys started out physical, and now you’ve caught feelings but don’t get the vibe that he’s interested in anything more serious?”

 

Loki cringed. He hated to admit it, if only just because it again affirmed that he was at a disadvantage to Thor. But Sigyn’s evaluation was pretty much spot on.

 

Taking his silence for assent, Sigyn continued.

 

“Why don’t you just ask him?” she suggested.

 

“Ask him what?” Loki asked.

 

“Whether he wants something more,” she said simply.  “A lot of people go crazy in their own heads wondering “what if,” and “does he like me, or doesn’t he,” and don’t spend the time actually just talking to each other.  It could be as simple as that.”

 

Loki shook his head and sighed.

 

“This guy and me, well, communication isn’t exactly our best skill,” Loki groused.

 

“Hmm,” Sigyn said.  “You know what that sounds like to me?  Sounds like you’re afraid of the possibility of his answer being ‘no.’”

 

Loki bit his lip and closed his eyes; he could feel the telltale burn of tears threatening to fall under his eyelids.  But this wasn’t want he had called Sigyn for. He wasn’t going to let her see him cry over some guy.  He was better than that. 

 

“I just… we don’t communicate well,” Loki repeated again, opting to not address Sigyn’s question.  “He once suggested that I was, you know, _attracted_ to him. And I denied it.  And he straight up ignored me for weeks.  And I realized how much I hated that.  So I practically begged him to pay attention to me again.  But he was so freaking smug about it.”

 

“Okay…well, he sounds like kind of an asshole?” Sigyn offered.

 

“And yet I like him anyway?” Loki said with a sigh.

 

“So, you’re afraid to ask him if he has feelings for you because you don’t want him to be smug?” she asked, sounding confused.

 

Loki knew it sounded silly.  The bigger reason was probably what Sigyn had suggested first: that he was afraid.  But, yes, Loki was also afraid Thor would say no, and _then_ laugh in his face. More than anything, Loki was afraid Thor would be turned off if Loki started to want more. And Loki wasn’t sure he was willing to lose Thor altogether.  Could he really be okay continuing this “thing” with Thor, never knowing whether Thor had any feelings for him at all?

 

“I just think it’s… kind of early,” Loki muttered weakly.  “It might scare him away?  Especially since this whole thing started with us both…kind of hating each other’s guts.”

 

“ _Omg_ , Loki, you’re kind of kinky, aren’t you?  Are you into hate sex?” Sigyn asked, laughing.

 

“Shut up,” Loki groaned.  “I’m not. Well… I don’t _think_ I am?  He infuriates me, but even with all that said I still find him ridiculously sexy.  Like, his cockiness and asshole-y nature just…ugh… I can’t hate him even if I want to.”

 

“Hmm…Now I gotta ask: how was it?” Sigyn asked.

 

“Huh?” Loki asked, brows furrowing.  “How was what?”

 

“You know, getting your cherry popped!” she said with a laugh.

 

“Oh my god, Sigyn, I can’t believe you just asked me that,” he said.

 

“Oh come on, you are _not_ actually surprised I asked you that,” she said. “You act like you don’t know me.”

 

Loki laughed and rolled his eyes.

 

“Um…is it enough just to say that I, uh, wouldn’t mind doing it again?” he asked, feeling his cheeks heat up.

 

Sigyn cackled. 

 

“Oh, that’s a boy who liked his first ride, if I ever heard one,” she teased. 

 

“Sigyn!” Loki growled. “Be quiet. That is _not_ what I wanted to talk to you about!”

 

 “So, how about you finally tell me what you want to ask me,” Sigyn pressed.

 

Loki forced himself to take a deep breath.  He wanted to talk to Sigyn because he wanted someone to listen to his worries. He wanted someone to give him advice.  Someone who wouldn’t judge him. And, more importantly, someone who didn’t know Thor.  Someone who could be objective. 

 

“I guess… I guess I want to ask if I’m messed up in the head for still wanting to be with him, even though he could possibly want nothing to do with me romantically, or, at worst just be _using_ me for sex.  And whether I’ll really regret it if I let myself get more invested in this… I’ve never been heartbroken before, Sig, and I’m worried that this could lead there at some point,” Loki whispered.

 

Sigyn sighed, but Loki could tell it was a sympathetic one.

 

“Look, I’m all for having sex just ‘cause it feels good, Lo-Lo.  But if you want feelings to be involved, and it doesn’t seem like that’s what the other person wants, you might want to try to avoid having sex with that person to save yourself the heartbreak,” she offered.  “At least, maybe, until you’ve had a chance to figure out more whether he could be willing to be in this for real with you, or if you, on the other hand, are okay with leaving your feelings at the door.” 

 

Loki bit his lip, thinking about what she said.  Could he really… take a break from Thor?  The thought of it made his heart squeeze painfully.  Loki realized he might already be deeper in this than he first thought he was.

 

“How does that sound to you?” Sigyn asked.

 

“ _Hard_ ,” Loki whined. 

 

“I’m sure it is, kid,” she said with a laugh. “You literally just got your first taste, and I’m not surprised you’re already hooked.  I can’t help but admit I’m kind of impressed.  You’re growing up so fast.”

 

“ _Sigyn_ ,” he groaned.

 

“But in all seriousness, Loki,” she said, voice losing the playful tone, “I want you to be careful, more than anything else, okay?  I already don’t love the sound of this mysterious older guy you’re hooking up with.  And I can’t help but to say I’m concerned since it seems your feelings are more invested than you think they are.  I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

 

Loki felt that burning sensation behind his eyelids again, but quickly blinked them away.

 

“I won’t Sigyn, I promise. I’ll be careful.  It was helpful talking to you.  Really. But, I gotta go now, okay? I have some friends coming over in a little while,” Loki said quickly.

 

“Well, this conversation isn’t over, okay?  I want you to talk to me again, and let me know if you need help making your decision.  I want to be here for you if I can, Lo-Lo,” she said.

 

“Thanks,” Loki said, smiling softly.

 

“Love you, butthead!” she said.

 

“Love you too,” he said.

 

He then forced himself to hang up, before he got all emotional.  Dropping his phone on his comforter he took a deep sigh.  That _had_ been helpful.  It was helpful just to talk to someone else about this, something he felt he hadn’t been able to do for the last few months.  But he didn’t necessarily think it made making his decision any easier.  Thor felt like a habit he just couldn’t shake.  It didn’t matter if Thor was a _bad_ habit.  Loki knew he was already hooked. 

 

And that meant he also knew he wouldn’t be able to break things off with Thor, even if that might be the smartest decision right now.  He couldn’t even stop himself from _thinking_ of Thor.  As he forced himself to finally roll out of bed and face the day, he could only hope that Thor was thinking of him too.  

* * *

Thor sighed to himself as he sat at the bar at The Red Ballerina, the Romanova’s restaurant in the heart of downtown, nursing a snifter of whiskey on the rocks.  It was a swanky establishment, with a live pianist at night.  But right now, the place was dead.  Unsurprisingly so, as it wasn’t even lunch time.  Which also meant that Thor should likely be ashamed that he was already two drinks in at that moment, but he couldn’t be bothered.

 

He’d do anything if it meant he could distract his mind from the _brat_. 

 

His conversation with his father that morning should have been warning enough.  Thor was _changing_.  So much so that it was piquing the interest of people he definitely did not need sniffing around his business. Namely his father.  But if Odin was noticing, then it meant something was really off.  And if his father—who preferred to keep anything Thor got up to out of sight, out of mind—was taking note, that likely meant others would notice too.  Like those who could use information like this against him.  Whatever Loki was doing to him was becoming troublesome.  It was becoming the one thing Thor wasn’t willing to tolerate within himself. 

 

A _weakness._

Thor grit his teeth, the thought of it turning the amber liquid in his mouth bitter and tasteless. 

 

What was happening to him?  Since when was he the type to turn to mush over a little bit of tail? 

But no matter what Thor did to distract himself, the next thing he knew he would find his mind wandering, taking him back to the previous night.  To the feel of that tight heat, sucking him in.  The look of Loki’s flushed skin, those wide, teary eyes, looking up at him with awe, desire, and…trust.  Something about that was sexy in itself.  What the _actual fuck_? 

 

It wasn’t like it was his first time adding a “pretty young thing” to his list of conquests. So it wasn’t the novelty of it, that was for sure.  And it wasn’t like Loki was charming, or was the type of sweetheart that could be expected to melt Thor’s heart of ice.  He was almost the total opposite.

 

Loki was mouthy, bratty, clumsy, and definitely liable to be a clinger. 

 

Liability.  That’s all Thor could think of. 

 

But, even with all that glaring evidence working against him, for some reason Thor still found himself hooked.  He thought that fucking the kid once would get him out of his system.  But, no, instead he found himself jonesing more for him than he had before he had gotten a taste.  So what _was_ it?  It wasn’t like Loki was a particularly good lay.  Thor had slept with porn stars before, who had been so creative that Thor had found himself out of his elements.  Compared to them, the kid had no idea what he was doing in the bedroom.  But Thor found himself more turned on by an inexperienced arrogant little brat than he had been by anyone he’d slept with in years.

 

And now here Thor was, two whiskeys in and pinching himself to stop from looking at pictures of Loki on his phone.  But Thor had never been particularly good at denying himself what he wanted.  Maybe it was a function of growing up rather spoiled and with a proverbial silver spoon in his mouth.  But he didn’t have particularly great impulse control.

 

So, with one covert glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was around, Thor slipped his phone out of his pocket and opened his text messages.  He quickly scrolled through to the last picture Loki had sent.   He couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at the corner of his lips when his eyes landed on the picture. 

 

Loki had only sent him one selfie when Thor had requested a “nude” a few weeks back.  Loki was so shy—and clearly not experienced with flirting via text—that the most he was willing to share with Thor was a strategically angled picture of his bare chest, taken in the mirror.  Objectively, Thor didn’t think anyone would consider it a _sexy_ picture.  But because it was Loki, to Thor it was mouth-watering.

 

His eyes trailed over the pale chest, the dusky pink nipples, the little freckles he could see peppering the otherwise flawless skin.  From the angle the picture was taken, the most Thor could see of Loki’s face was his pointy little chin and a little bit of his plump bottom lip.  His eyes continued to sweep over the picture, following the slightly defined muscles of his taut stomach and down to the sparse dark trail of hair leading from his belly button down into the waistband of his jeans.  In his mind’s eye, Thor could imagine himself peeling those tight jeans off and spreading Loki out before him like a feast.  Now he knew what Loki looked like when he touched him.  All the places he blushed, and where to touch him to make him moan.  

 

“Who’s that?” Thor heard from behind him, and he couldn’t stop himself from jumping in surprise.

 

His heart hammered in his chest as he cursed under his breath and quickly locked the screen, as if that could do anything to undo the damage. Then he turned around to lock Natasha Romanova with his steeliest glare.  But it did nothing to stop her from opening her mouth. 

 

“Looking a little jail-baity there, Borson,” Natasha said, finely arched eyebrow rising in a taunt.  “Plus, since when are you into the less fair sex?”

 

Thor’s frown deepened, unimpressed with her teasing.

 

“Since when were you such a nosy busybody?” Thor sneered. “What’re you doing sneaking around here like some fucking spy for anyway?”

 

Natasha laughed, red lips spreading in a wide grin.

 

“You’d be surprised what I’ve been trained to do,” she said.  “I’ve also been trained to spot when someone is trying to change the subject.”

 

“Get off it,” Thor said, pushing his glass away and standing to his feet. “Why do you care who I fuck?  You getting jealous now, Romanova?”

 

Natasha tilted her head to the side and looked at him curiously.

 

“That’s the second time you avoided my question.  Is this guy actually jail-bait?” she asked

 

“ _This_ guy’s none of your business.  But if he’s your type,” Thor said, forcing a smirk on to his face, “I can find you someone like him.  Maybe we can all have some fun together?”

 

Natasha rolled her eyes.

 

“You’re disgusting.  Is that really all you have on your mind?” she asked as she pushed past him and began walking toward the back of the restaurant.

 

Thor followed close behind, frown returning to his features.  The fact that Natasha had caught him drooling over a picture of Loki leant yet more support to his conclusion that this kid was going to be no good for him. 

 

“As I find myself constantly saying to you,” Natasha continued as she unlocked the door that led to the establishment’s basement, “I need you to focus on what we’re here to do.  You seem to always have your mind on your dick.”

 

“It’s a very impressive part of me, why wouldn’t I pay it attention,” Thor joked, as he followed her down into the basement.

 

He let out an “oof” when she reached behind her and elbowed him in the gut without even missing a beat in her conversation.

 

“I’m sure you think it’s much more impressive than it really is, but that’s often the problem with guys like you.  Now focus.  We’re here to talk about that,” she said as she pointed to a stack of glassine baggies filled with what looked like neon-colored pills.

 

“That them?” Thor said, becoming more serious.

 

“Yeah,” Natasha said as she grabbed one of the bags.  “Someone’s been flooding the market with these new pills.  It’s really fucking people up.  There’s no real way to tell what their reaction is going to be.  For some people it’s an upper, for others it’s a downer.  The effects last about four hours.  And people have been crushing them and snorting them to get the high faster.  It’s like the new party drug.  And because of that, now it’s starting to get on the cops’ radars.  It’s becoming a lot harder to move the other stuff.”

 

Thor grabbed one of the little packets and rolled the neon pill between his thumb and forefinger.

 

“So someone’s compromising the business we’ve been doing, and on top of that cutting into our market and not offering us a part of the take,” he said, frowning. 

 

Natasha nodded as she jumped up to sit on one of the tables.

 

“Have any ideas about who’d be dumb enough to do that on your territory?” she asked with a smirk.

 

“I have a few ideas, and the list is pretty fucking short,” Thor said, crushing the pill between his fingers.

 

“Well, let’s try to narrow that list down to one person.  Because my father doesn’t like that we’re starting to lose money.  This deal he struck with your father is looking less and less ideal to him.  We were promised that collaborating with the Borson family and opening our channels to allow you a more widespread distribution stream would be nothing but beneficial to us.  But we had some of the city cops poking around one of our clubs last weekend.  Some girl OD’ed on this fairy pill bullshit in the bathroom and almost died.  So they came back to investigate,” Natasha said rolling her eyes.

 

Thor frowned as he listened to her.  When she said she needed to discuss a problem, he didn’t think it would be this.  If Nikolai Romanova was starting to have doubts about their partnership already and decided to back out, all the work Thor had done to garner respect from his father would all be for naught.  If anything, Odin would likely _blame_ him for souring things with the Romanovas.  Odin always preferred neutral relationships over friendships, because friends could quickly turn into enemies.  Thor was the one who tried to convince him that it made more sense for the Borson family to start branching out and working with other families.  Thor knew Odin wouldn’t hesitate to rub his face in it if this thing went tits up. 

 

Natasha gave him a sympathetic smile, as if sensing his distress. 

 

“Don’t worry, Thor,” she said.  “My father’s business managers were able to convince them that the drugs didn’t come from our club.  To be honest, no one has ever seen this shit before.  So it’s believable. I’m almost sure she didn’t get it from any of our guys.  My father isn’t necessarily doubting you.  But I think he doesn’t like that there are unknowns out there.  So if we can, I think it’s best if we nip this in the bud before it turns into something bigger.  If my father starts to feel that the market will bring us more attention from the cops, he’ll pull out.”

 

Thor nodded as he looked down at the pink neon dust coating his fingers.

 

This type of flashy, reckless move stunk of Ronan.  But Thor had to be sure before he moved forward.  Getting into a battle with Ronan could mean a war with Thanos, and that was something Thor wasn’t willing to enter into lightly. 

 

“I’ll handle it,” he said, as he looked up at her, a frown on his face. “Trust me.”

_________

 

When Loki opened the door, he was greeted by the grinning, goatee’d, face of Tony Stark.  Behind him he could see Bruce smiling and waving good-naturedly. 

 

“Ugh, took you forever to get the door,” Tony said as he pushed past him and let himself into the house.  “I was freaking melting out there.  I need a cold drink.”

 

“What?” Loki said, gawping as Tony walked further into his house.  “You rang the bell _two_ times.  That’s hardly _forever._ ”

 

“It was two times too many,” Tony called from down the hall.

 

“And where the heck are you going?” Loki shouted after him, ushering Bruce in and quickly locking the door behind him.  “You don’t just go wandering in to someone else’s house!”

 

Loki and Bruce finally found Tony in the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets.

 

“Oh, I’ve been in this house before,” Tony said nonchalantly, as he continued to look through Loki’s cabinets.

 

“Huh?” Loki asked.

 

“Yeah…I knew the people who used to live here.  A girl named Pepper…” Tony trailed off.

 

Loki’s brows furrowed.  He glanced over to Bruce for an explanation, but Bruce just shook his head, telling Loki in no uncertain terms to drop it. 

 

“Ah, but they moved away two years ago.  So it’s interesting to see what you guys’ve been doing with the place.  Surprised it’s not just a tear down.  I don’t know why anyone ever wants to restore old stuff.  In with the new, I always say,” Tony said as he turned around to face them.  “Guess your dad is the nostalgic type?”

 

Loki shrugged.

 

“Probably. It has been pretty ridiculous trying to make repairs to this place,” he said. 

 

Tony smirked.

 

“But you get the benefit of having the Borson team be the one to work on your house,” Tony said with a wink.  “You can’t deny that you’ve appreciated that eye candy, I’m sure.”

 

Loki flushed and glared at Tony.

 

“Oh _come on_ , Loki,” Tony said with a laugh as he leaned back against the counter top.  “The more you deny you think Thor Borson is hot, the more I’m going to be convinced you _do_. Have you never heard the phrase ‘the lady doth protest too much?’”

 

“I don’t have the energy to argue with you, Tony,” Loki said instead. 

 

“You really do look like shit though,” Tony mentioned as he stepped back a bit from Loki, as if he would catch something.  “Paler than your usual, and you’re even stumbling around a bit.” 

 

Loki flushed, and glanced away.

 

“Ah…Well, I just woke up feeling all out of it and achy   You know how it is,” Loki said with a shrug.

 

He saw Bruce glance at him curiously out of the corner of his eye, and Loki felt his face heat up more.

 

“Well whatever it is, make sure I don’t catch it,” Tony said dismissively.  “Where does your dad keep the booze around here?”

 

Loki gave him a deadpan look.

 

“It’s like…one in the afternoon,” Loki said. 

 

“And?   I’m bored,” Tony whined. 

 

“There’s no way we’re drinking.  Plus, my dad is definitely going to notice if we take anything from his liquor cabinet. Trust me, I’ve been through that before,” Loki muttered. 

 

“How about we go for a swim instead?” Bruce offered, glancing out the kitchen windows.  “You said they just revamped your pool, right?”

 

Loki flinched.  A swim would be great.  That is, if Loki’s body wasn’t covered in the physical signs of Thor’s attentions. 

 

When Loki had stepped out of the shower that morning and seen his body in the mirror, he had gasped.  His body was peppered with small bruises, trailing from his neck, to his collarbone, and even across his nipple.  He had been almost mesmerized by it, running his finger from mark to mark, as if he was mapping out the path Thor’s hands and lips had taken across his body.  He had blushed, shocked by how much he had kind of liked it.  It looked like Thor had laid claim on him. But it had made picking something to wear a bit difficult, since Loki often preferred loose-fitting tanks in the summer, which tended to showcase his collarbones and even his ribs. Today, however, he had opted for a graphic tee.  It was hot, but he didn’t have much choice. 

 

And there was no way Loki was going to agree to get into his swim trunks.  Not if it meant he’d have to answer questions about the marks all over his body.  So swimming was out of the question.

 

“Ah…I’m not really sure I’m up to that. You know, sick and all,” Loki said hurriedly, and forced a soft cough out.  “But, how about we make smoothies or milkshakes or something?  I’m sure we’ve got lots of stuff for it.  And we can go upstairs and play video games.”   

 

Tony gave him a curious look, tilting his head to the side and rubbing his goatee, a look that Loki hated. 

 

“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?” Tony asked.

 

“I-I’m not,” Loki said, voice cracking to his horror. “I just…my dad told me I’m not supposed to have people over. So it’s better if we just keep it low key and don’t make a mess or anything.  I don’t want him to know you guys were here.”

 

“How’s he gonna know if we were in the pool?  You have video surveillance or something?” Tony asked, unconvinced.

 

“Look, it’s my house, so we’re going to do what I say, okay?” Loki said, growing frustrated.  “When I come over by you, you make me do whatever you want, in addition to playing test dummy to some of your stupid inventions.  So if I say I want to drink milkshakes and play videogames, that’s what we’re doing.”

 

Bruce and Tony blinked at him in surprise.  Then Tony was grinning, and Loki prepared himself to hear some annoying quip. 

 

“Hmm, never thought I’d say this, but I like it when you’re the dominant,” Tony said with a laugh.  “Lead the way, master.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help but smile back. 

* * *

In a tastefully appointed office on the other side of town sat Odin Borson, stroking his beard in contemplation. 

 

One thing Odin did not like was “complications.”  He had worked hard to exert control over his surroundings, to know when, how, and where things would happen around him.  But, now, this situation with his eldest was starting to stink of “complicated,” and Odin was not pleased.

 

It was obvious something was going on with Thor.  Odin knew Thor well enough to know his son was wild—sex, drugs, and violence were a regular Saturday night for Thor.  He could not exactly say he condoned his son’s showy lifestyle; Odin believed the key to success was to hide in plain sight.  He also imagined a good part of why he and his son butted head so much was because Thor considered his father to be old fashioned, while Odin considered his son to be rash and incapable of seeing the big picture.  But it wasn’t surprising; Odin had been almost 40 when he had had Thor. 

 

Odin had lived so much of his life, and had seen what the world was like, before he brought order to it.  Thor had only ever lived in a world that Odin had curated for him, through blood and sweat.  Thor’s life was _easy_.  But Odin never forgot what things could be like when in chaos.  And Odin was not willing to let things devolve back into disorder because Thor could not control himself.  However, Odin was content to pay little attention to Thor’s activities as long as Thor could be trusted to put the things that really mattered first. 

 

And what mattered most was _family_.

 

Thor had always found it difficult to connect with people.  After much urging from Thor’s schools, Odin and his wife had been encouraged to have Thor evaluated.  The handful of child psychologists had thrown words around like antisocial tendencies and aggression and adjustment issues.  Odin had responded in turn by bestowing Thor’s school with a large endowment.  No further requests for evaluations came from the school after that. 

 

Odin couldn’t be bothered with how outsiders thought of his son.  His son cared about the only people he was supposed to—his father, mother, brother, and the men and women who comprised the Borson enterprise.  He was a born leader.  He was ruthless and an exemplary soldier.  Thor would do anything for the Family.  Whether it was lie, cheat, steal, or kill.  Thor was still immature in his tastes, but, for the most part, Odin trusted in him not to let the Family down.

 

But, now, it was apparent Thor was _distracted_. 

 

Odin did not care to hear of his son’s exploits from his own mouth.  But he was always kept abreast of Thor’s comings and goings by Thor’s Warriors. It had always been that way, ever since Thor was in his early teens.  Thor was their direct commander, but Odin was their _general_.  If Thor was shit-faced and passed out at his penthouse in the city, Odin wanted to know, just the same as Odin wanted to know if Thor had been stabbed in a fight and was being rushed to the Family’s physician to get patched up.  The fact that the Warriors had no idea where Thor had disappeared to last night had been…troubling.

 

Thor’s response to Odin’s warning that morning had left Odin’s concerns unassuaged, to say the least.  Odin didn’t know if Thor had been sneaking around because of some girl, or if he was dabbling in some new vice.  But the fact that Thor thought he had to hide it was something Odin was not used to.  Thor was more likely to boast about the latest wild thing he was involved in.  If only to watch as Odin’s face tightened and eyebrow twitched in anger.  Odin could only imagine Thor was being so shifty because it was something that had the potential to be damaging for the Family.  And if that was the case, Odin needed to know now more than ever. 

 

 If Thor wasn’t going to tell him, Odin would find out through his own means.

 

Odin picked up his phone and pressed the quick-dial next to the name _Heimdall_.  He only had 5 people on his quick dial, and three of those were his wife and children. 

 

When Odin first began his business, he had been distrustful of any and all people.  He believed he had to be his own eyes and ears everywhere his influence touched.  He soon learned that if you’re watching your back all the time, you likely wouldn’t be able to watch your front.  And he had learned that lesson the hard way, having been ambushed in a set up that would have been so clear to him if he hadn’t been spreading himself so thin.  He had lost his right eye that day. But he gained the knowledge that his enterprise could be still be efficiently run, even if he had to rely on others.  He just had to carefully select those he kept close. And Heimdall was one of those select individuals. 

 

Heimdall joined the Borson family over 20 years ago, and now served as Odin’s eyes and ears.  It was almost as if he was all-knowing.  Odin did not care to know how Heimdall got his sources, or where from, but he knew he could always trust the man to have accurate information, and to have it before any of his enemies could get it.

 

“Heimdall,” Odin said once the call connected.

 

The man’s deep voice resonated in a simple response, “Who and what, Sir?”

 

“Thor,” Odin responded.

 

He could hear the pause on the other line.  Heimdall had known Thor since he was in grade school.  But if Odin could trust anyone to be objective in their loyalty it was Heimdall.

 

“What would you like to know?” Heimdall said, voice calm and steady.

 

“What he’s been up to.  He’s been distracted the past few weeks.  I suspect it’s some girl.  Or maybe he’s gotten himself involved in some foolish side hustle. Or it's drugs.  Whatever it is, I want to know everything about it.  And I don’t want Thor to know you’re looking into it,” Odin said.

 

“Of course, Sir,” Heimdall said.  “I’ll report back when I’ve gathered my intel.” 

 

Then the line disconnected.

 

Placing the phone down, Odin sighed heavily to himself.  Whatever it was, Odin would not hesitate to snuff it out.   He had warned Thor.  Now Thor would be the only one to blame for whatever befell him. 

* * *

A/N: Ok, that’s all she wrote for now!  I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.  Sorry there was no direct Thor x Loki interaction in this one.  Let’s call this a transition chapter?  I spent a little time rethinking the direction I want to take this story. So hopefully that works out well. In any case, hopefully the next chapter will be up in a somewhat reasonable amount of time, but you never know with me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯.  It helps to let me know what you think though, haha.  xoxo


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